Do Guys Really Need Sunscreen?
That's how Korean Guys stay youthful.
As the age-old adage goes: “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Beauticians and dermatologists have long urged many to use sunscreen to protect their skin from the cancer-causing and aging effects of the sun’s ultraviolet rays (UV rays). In fact, at the risk of sounding like your mother, you should be wearing it routinely and daily, whatever the weather. Yet, compared to women, men still aren’t as likely to wear sunscreen.
That’s shocking considering how men are more likely to engage in activities outdoors and thus more likely to develop and succumb to melanoma (the most serious type of skin cancer formed due to intermittent exposure to sun). According to the data published by the Singapore Cancer Registry, there have been a rise in non-melanoma skin cancers amongst those in the above-65 age group over the years, with a similar rising trend spotted the 35 to 64 age group as well.
Fortunately, using sunscreen can help prevent the undesirable from happening and there are tons of excellent sunscreens to choose from. Joining the fray is South Korean men’s beauty label Tieso.
How Sun Exposure Damages Your Skin
From wrinkles to dark spots, sun burns to skin cancers, the damage from the sun’s rays is extensive. According to Dr Ker, a dermatologist from Gleneagles Hospital, exposure from the sun harms our skin through UVA (ultraviolet A) and UVB (ultraviolet B) rays. Both of which cause the collagen levels in your skin to gradually diminish and alter your skin’s structural integrity. The former is omnipresent during the day and penetrates deeper into the skin layer, causing premature signs of ageing to develop. The latter, which peaks at noon, burns up the skin, giving way to a tan and even skin dryness.
The best way to prevent these damages is by applying the right amount of sunscreen daily — and at regular intervals of 3-4 hours — as well as limiting your exposure to the sun. It’s also recommended to use a broad spectrum sunscreen (so your skin is protected from both UVA and UVB rays) that has a minimum SPF 30 coverage.
Image Credit: Skincare Routine with BTS
Do You Need To Wear Sunscreen Indoors?
You may be wondering if you spend a bulk of your time working in your office (or at home these days), do you still need to apply sunscreen? The short answer is yes.
This is because even though most glass windows block UVB rays, UVA rays can still pass through them. Essentially, you are not let off the hook, even if you are barely leaving your house.
In other words, whether you are commuting to work in your car, working from home, or having a meeting in the office, you should still reach for your sunscreen. Which makes it all the more to treat applying sunscreen as part of a daily wellness routine, and not as a chore.
If you are working from home, you are more than likely to be exposed to radiation and blue light. Interestingly, some sunscreens are able to offer some protection against blue light – the light that is emitted from screens (think laptops, TV or mobile phones). According to this research, sunscreen (like Tieso’s) containing microfine titanium dioxide provides greater protection against both UVA and blue light.
How Tieso Sol UV Protector Shields Your Skin From Harm
By now you would have heard of the ingenuity behind South Korean skincare brands, which boast the use of innovative technology and superior ingredients in their products. With several targeted products that befit all skin-types as well as the widely-lauded multi-step skincare routine, South Korea’s cosmetic and beauty is inarguably at the forefront of it all.
Hailing from South Korean, burgeoning beauty label Tieso, which means ‘Strong’ in Spanish, aims to take men’s confidence to the next level with its arsenal of skincare, beauty and haircare products tailored to every guy’s needs — think shower gel, cleanser, and scalp shampoo. Its sunscreen, the Tieso Sol UV Protector, is one of such creation.
The Tieso Sol UV Protector is known as a combination mineral and chemical sunscreen. It boasts minerals (such as Titanium Dioxide), an active ingredient that physically reflects or blocks UV rays away just by sitting onto the skin, and chemicals (such as oxybenzone) that absorb the sun’s harmful ray away. In other words, this lightweight sunscreen offers the ultimate sun coverage against both UVA and UVB rays.
Non-sticky and absorbs rather easily on the skin, you’ll be glad to know that this sunscreen also veers on the thinner side. Which means you will not get a white chalky film on your skin when smearing it in copious amount. The sunscreen is also formulated with niacinamide (vitamin B3), which helps correct hyperpigmentation and prevents inflammation caused by UV rays.
Most South Korean skincare brands use ingredients that are derived from nature. Tieso is no exception to this trend. You can find an eclectic mix of cypress (which increases skin flexibility and promotes cell regeneration) and maca root extract (known for its anti-bacterial properties) in the sunscreen too.
Although more importantly, the sunscreen is formulated with humid climates in mind. It is also loaded with a unique concoction of violets, kelp, yam and Ulmus Campestris extract which helps soothes sensitive skin from irritation and cools the skin down from the heat.
Finally, the multi-purpose SPF50+ sunscreen boasts a PA++++ rating. Unlike Sun Protection Factor (SPF) which measures how long you can stay out in the sun while protected from UVB rays, the Japanese formulated PA rating system shows how much UVA protection a product offers. It begins from PA+, which presents some UVA protection, and ends at PA++++ as the best.
Best suited for the men, who hustle tirelessly out at work, at home or in the gym, the Tieso skincare range and Sol UV Protector is a well-thought sunscreen that you can easily carry along in your bag or briefcase.
Street Challenge: Do Singaporeans know their sunscreen? Watch to find out.