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What is the UV Index and why it matters
UV Index Explained and the best SPF
With summer fast approaching it's important to protect our skin from those harmful UV rays while still being able to enjoy the beautiful sunny weather! So, we want to help demystify the UV index and its importance before you head out into the sun.
First things first. UV explained.
Ultraviolet (UV) radiation is a type of energy produced by the sun (and other sources like solariums) which you can't see or feel. This is why you can't rely on clear skies or even high temperatures to determine when you need to protect yourself from the sun. In fact, even on cool and overcast days UV radiation can be high.
UV Index. What is it?
The UV index is a scale between 1 (being the lowest) and 20 (being the highest) which measures the risk of exposure to the UV from the sun.
The UV level is affected by a number of factors including:
- The time of day as well as the time of the year
- Amount of cloud cover
- Altitude and how close you are to the equator
Some UV exposure is recommended for vitamin D, but too much of it is dangerous. Overexposure to UV radiation (the sun) is the biggest contributor to skin damage, including skin cancer. It also effects the ageing of our skin.
How do you know what the UV index is?
Weather apps to the rescue! Thankfully, smart phone weather apps can tell you in the moment UV index levels.
No smart phone at the beach or out on your bike? No worries. You can always use the shadow rule. The shorter your shadow, the higher the UV exposure.
Protecting yourself from UV.
The best way to protect yourself is to only be in the sun when UV levels are at their lowest avoiding certain times of the day. In addition it's important to cover up as much as possible, with appropriate clothing, headwear and eyewear.
And of course, protecting yourself with a high quality SPF sunscreen and then reapply reapply, reapply. (Every 2 hours or 80 minutes if you're sweating).
KINeSYS SPF50 sunscreen is perfect for all skin types because it's oil and alcohol-free, meaning it won't irritate or dry out your skin. It absorbs quickly into the skin without that oily, greasy feeling and our sunscreen goes on clear - no white goop here! Oh! and we don't use any fragrances either. None. Nouda. Zero.
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