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Marie Jourdan (Dermatologist)
Sunscreen is essential during the summer. While it’s important to apply it to protect yourself from the dangers of the sun, it’s also important to know the exact amount to use. Answers with Marie Jourdan, dermatologist.
Are you sure you are applying the right amount of sunscreen to your face? This is nothing new, prolonged exposure to the sun can have deleterious effects on the skin: spots, sunburn, premature aging, cancers… To fight against these harmful effects, it is essential to protect yourself before any exposure. But how much cream to use?
The equivalent of two teaspoons
Whether you live by the water, in the mountains or in the city, applying sunscreen with a high protection factor is essential. This gesture limits the undesirable effects of the sun’s rays on the epidermis.
Recently an article from the magazine Well & Good declared that half a teaspoon of cream would be enough for the whole face. An approximation that refutes the dermatologist Marie Jourdan, member of the committee of experts of Doctissimo. According to her, it would rather be the equivalent of two teaspoons for the entire face including the neck, ears and nape of the neck.
One application to renew every two hours
“In European legislation, the tests carried out in the laboratory to calculate the indices are protocolizedshe says. The SPFs written on sunscreen packets are theoretically calculated in the laboratory by imagining that we are going to apply about 6 teaspoons for the body and the equivalent of 2 teaspoons for the face”.
These measurement tools are far from being useless because, as the National Agency for the Safety of Medicines reminds us, “an insufficient quantity clearly decreases the level of protection against sun exposure”.
The professional also reminds us that it is imperative renew the application of sunscreen approximately every two hours or after swimming.
Sunscreen, essential but not sufficient
Nevertheless, having the right sun protection factor and a good application is not enough. Here are some other essential tips for protecting yourself from the sun:
- Pay special attention to the most exposed areas of the body such as the nose or the ears ;
- It is strongly recommended to protect yourself as much as possible between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. ;
- Do not hesitate to put on a T-shirt, a cap and other protections ;
- Also remember to protect your eyes from the sun with sunglasses with UV filter ;
- Do not expose never babies and young children.
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