![\"Cr\u00e8me](\"https:\/\/www.lydiagauthier.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/06\/Cre\u0300me-Solaire-Lydia-Gauthier-dermocosme\u0301tologue.png\")
<\/a>Why does this process take 48\u00a0hours? As you can see in the illustration, UVB rays penetrate the skin as deep as the melanocytes, our little melanin factories, and excite them so that they start to produce our protective pigment, but the uniform distribution of melanin, like little parasols above the cell nuclei, takes almost 2\u00a0days. So be patient when you start on your holidays, because you can\u2019t go faster than the metabolism of your cells! When I hear, \u201cIt\u2019s no big thing if I get a sunburn, because afterwards, I\u2019ll tan\u2026\u201d Well, it\u2019s true, but it\u2019s already too late. The damage to the skin cell nuclei is already done and, if the immune system doesn\u2019t respond to this anomaly, several years later, a melanoma-type skin cancer might develop. A single cell damaged in childhood is enough to cause severe repercussions in adults\u2026 and if you can imagine, I still hear that sunscreens cause cancers! With this kind of thinking, we find ourselves ranking second for countries with the most cases of skin cancer in the world.<\/p>\nThis erythema phenomenon, or redness of the skin when exposed to UVB radiation, is the basis of sunscreen SPF calculations. Not only does it represent the cream\u2019s protection against UVBs, but also the percentage of protection of this cream on the skin. This has nothing to do with the duration in minutes or hours, as an SPF\u00a015 cream with organic filters protects for more than 15\u00a0minutes, and an SPF\u00a0100 does not protect for only 100\u00a0minutes. If they are used and applied as per instructions, they will protect for the required 2\u00a0hours and with an efficiency of 98%. Be careful not to feel over-protected when using a sun protection with such a high SPF, and remember that it does not cover much more than an SPF\u00a045 cream and that it\u2019s important to re-apply just as often!<\/p>\n
That\u2019s why it\u2019s so important to buy and correctly apply a sunscreen that will protect you against such permanent damage. But how should you choose your sun cream? Not an easy question. There are so many on the market, and over the last few years, the trend has shifted to sunscreens containing 100% mineral filters. But beware: this is just a trend, and simply because development costs are much lower than for organic sunscreens, not because they\u2019re better for the skin! For some, this means a whitish cream that\u2019s hard to apply in certain cases. Rest assured, by the end of this article, you will understand how mineral filters work, and how they differ from organic filters.<\/p>\n
Let\u2019s start with the easiest: the only 2\u00a0mineral filters approved for the Canadian market are titanium dioxide (TiO2<\/sub>), which provides very good UVB protection, but limited UVA protection, and zinc oxide (ZnO), which covers the entire spectrum of UVB and UVA radiation (broad spectrum). Mineral filters work like tiny mirrors, i.e.<\/em> they will reflect solar radiation so that it is not absorbed by skin cells, much like a second skin! These are the only 2\u00a0filters approved for the organic (ECOCERT) sunscreen market.<\/p>\n