Beware of UVA rays

Every summer, the name crops up again. Yes, we need effective sun protection against UVA skin damage. But what is it exactly? We took a look at these UVA villains that are out to get our skin.

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UVA and UVB: what's the difference?

UVB represents about 5% of the UV rays that come into contact with our skin. It is responsible for sunburn.So UVA makes up the other 95% of UV rays. It speeds up cell aging, alters our DNA and is even a not insignificant cause of skin cancers. This is why we must arm ourselves with sun protection.
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Long-wave UVA radiation: painless but dangerous

Painless? Yes. UVA radiation cannot be felt directly; it passes through the cloud barrier and is less noticeable in the short term than UVB (as it does not cause sunburn).It penetrates deep into the skin, reaching all the way to the dermis cells, and does some real damage.For example: photoaging (with loss of elasticity and firmness), solar allergies (such as benign summer light eruption), pigment irregularities (dark spots) and even cancer.  It is therefore essential, when exposed to the sun, to go for double sun protection: anti UVA and UVB. This should be chosen according to your skin type: SPF 50 if your skin is very pale, 50 to 30 when your skin is first exposed to the sun, then 30 to 15 for intermediate skin and SFP 20 for dark skin.
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Here is a reminder of the sun protection recommendations to combat UVA skin damage:

- Avoid all sun exposure between 12 and 4pm, when UV radiation is at its strongest,
- Wear sunglasses/a T shirt/a wide-brimmed hat,
- Apply plenty of sun cream every two hours (the equivalent of a golf ball for the body and a teaspoon for the face).