UVA Rays, UVB Rays And UVC Rays: The Good,The Bad & The Downright Ugly!

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There are three kinds of ultraviolet (UV) rays: UVA, UVB and UVC. UVA rays penetrate the skin fairly deeply, altering our pigmentation to produce a tan. UVB rays are the primary sunburn rays. These rays also damage our skin's DNA and cause photoaging, pigment changes, and carcinomas (cancerous tumors). UVC rays are absorbed by the atmosphere and don't make it to the ground.

The SPF on a sunscreen refers to the amount of protection the product offers from UVB rays or sunburns. Many sunscreens, therefore, need to offer protection from both UVA and UVB rays. Broad spectrum means protection against UVA and UVB. Look for an SPF of at least 15 and one of the following ingredients: mexoryl, oxybenzone or avobenzone (Parsol 1789) for UVA protection, or titanium dioxide or zinc oxide (which block both UVA and UVB).

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Education

Tags:

• actinic aging
• aging of skin
• instrinsic aging
• UVA rays
• uva sunblock
• uva sunscreen
• uva uvb rays
• UVB rays
• uvb sunblock
• uvb sunscreen