Sunscreen is NOT enough

These days, everybody is crazy over SPF. I know plenty of girls who refuse buying a foundation if it doesn't contain SPF. I know lots of girls who look for moisturisers for built in SPF. This is great but here is what you should also know.

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and it really only gives you protection for UVB rays. What about UVA rays? The difference between UVB AND UVA is:

UVB = Burning rays
UVA= Aging rays
This means that a lot of sunscreen will protect you against burning but not necessarily from wrinkles.

Apparently any sunscreen can "claim" to protect against UVA rays as long as it filters out at least 20% of UVA rays. This means a possibility of 80% of UVA rays are absorbed into your skin!!! So all in all, sunscreen IS good but it won't protect you all the way. Remember to reapply throughout the day if you can.

Here is the cool part. Do you know that eating tomatoes can protect your skin from the sun? If you live in an area with hot climate or visiting the beach soon, make sure you have tomatoes in your diet. Here is why.

Do you know that tomatos thrive under heat? They grow abundantly instead of shrivelling. This is because they contain lots of carotenoids and polyphenols (antioxidants). 

 Tomatoes contain lots of lycopene which makes them highly effective in preventing sun damage and UV radiation. They will counteract the formation of wrinkles, age spots and inflammation. It also lowers the risk of skin cancer. 

If you're not a fan of tomatoes, try drinking green tea. Even though I have a poor diet, I make sure I drink at least 2 glasses of green tea a day. It has a high concentration of  antioxidants to not only detox the body but also the skin. It gives the skin a defence system. The free radicals protect the skin from pollution, sun damage and stress.  Apparently green tea helps to thicken the epidermis layer of the skin too! That's amazing because it means skin is protected from dryness and irritation. It can be consumed into the body and also applied directly into the skin. So drink up the green tea because it will help to protect your skin and body.

I'll be writing more food related entries because I'm trying to eat healthier for better skin. Too many people think that the condition of the skin is solely related to what products we apply to our face. This is not just the case and I'm prepared to write about this in the future. Anyways, I hope this was helpful for you guys.

Until next time, take care guys!