Best Sunscreen Refresher 101 To Achieve Healthy Skin

The most important skincare step in your skincare routine for anti-aging is sunscreen as  UV rays cause 90% of premature skin aging including wrinkles, sagging skin and hyperpigmentation.  It’s important to remember that sunscreen is not just for sunny days as UV rays can still penetrate the cloud cover, windows and beach & rain umbrellas. It is estimated that 80% of UV rays can pass through the clouds.  UV exposure breaks down collagen and impairs the synthesis of new collagen speeding up the signs of aging (Source: Skin Inc)  We recommend sunscreen made with zinc oxide as it’s the safest and most effective mineral active ingredient as it protects from both UVA and UVB rays.  

Popular Sunscreen Questions

Here are the most popular questions we’ve been asked since launching Sun Warrior Sunscreen:

Why is it important to use sunscreen with ‘broad spectrum’?

Broad spectrum sunscreens filter both UVA and UVB rays. UVB is the principal cause of sunburn, but both UVA and UVB contribute to premature aging and increase risk to skin cancer.

What does PA+++ stand for and why is it important?

Aside from the SPF level which measures protection against UVB, the PA+++ rating indicates the level of protection grade from UVA rays. The number of ‘+’ signs indicates the measurement ranking based on Persistent Pigment Darkening (PPD) reaction reading after 2-4 hours of sun exposure.

PA+++ means the sunscreen can provide 8 x the normal UVA protection factor, the highest level of UVA protection currently available.

The Dirty Sunscreen Related Truth

Why is Soul Story Sun Warrior ‘Oxybenzone’ free?

Soul Story decided to go oxybenzone-free since it scores very high on skin allergy and toxicity indexes. Oxybenzone is one of the common chemical filters found in 80% of sunscreen products.  While primary function is to absorb UV rays, research has shown that it is also absorbed by the skin and can stay in our bodies for an unknown duration. Skin penetration testing and lab studies have even found traces in breast milk (Source: EWG).  Oxybenzone is also a hormone disruptor and it can act like estrogen in the body.

The most important skincare step in your skincare routine for anti-aging is sunscreen as  UV rays cause 90% of premature skin aging including wrinkles, sagging skin and hyperpigmentation.

Why is Soul Story Sun Warrior ‘Octinoxate’ free?

Octinoxate, also known as ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate, is a common and inexpensive ingredient in many sunscreens. While it absorbs UVB rays, it also poses numerous risks to humans as well as coral reefs.  Octinoxate has been found in human urine, blood samples and breast milk and is a hormone disruptor, producing estrogen-like effects, similar to oxybenzone.

According to a study on coral bleaching conducted by scientists from Environmental Health Perspectives , octinoxate and oxybenzone “caused complete bleaching of coral even at very low concentrations.” Many resorts near coral reefs actually require biodegradable sunscreen, prohibiting specific ingredients in guests’ sunscreens including oxybenzone, octinoxate and parabens.

365 Days a Year – Rain or Shine

Why is it important to apply sunscreen when the weather is cold or overcast and even staying indoors with windows?

‘Think UV, Not Heat’  Ultraviolet radiation is from the sun and does not correlate with heat, so UV radiation can be very high even on cloudy and cooler days. It can not be seen or felt, but still remains the major cause of premature aging, sunburn, and eye and skin damage.  It is important to protect our skin with sunscreen on our face and body on a daily basis to minimize the side effects, even while indoors as UV rays are able to penetrate through windows.

What is the difference between SPF (Sunscreen Protection Factor) 50+ and SPF 30+?

There are two ways to understand the difference between SPF 50+ and SPF 30+.  

SPF is derived by taking the time it takes someone to burn with the sunscreen applied and dividing it by the time it takes the person to burn without sunscreen.  For example, if the subject burns in 300 minutes with the sunscreen applied and 10 minutes without, the SPF would be 30.

If SPF 50+ is applied correctly and reapplied every two hours, it will offer 50 times your natural protection.  An SPF of 50+ will reduce the damaging UV rays getting to your skin by about 50% when compared with an SPF 30+.

SPF 50+ offers better protection, filtering out 98% of UV radiation compared to 96.7% with SPF 30+.

We’re Inclusive!

Is Soul Story Sun Warrior sunscreen suitable for sensitive skin?

Yes, certain sunscreen formulations, including Soul Story’s Sun Warrior Sunscreen with broad spectrum protection is suitable for all skin types, especially sensitive skin. Ingredients that score high on skin allergy indexes such as Oxybenzone and Octinoxate are excluded.

Sun Warrior Sunscreen

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Free of harmful chemicals that 80% of other brands use

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Is Soul Story Sun Warrior suitable for different skin tones?

Yes, we made sure Sun Warrior Sunscreen would be suitable for all skin tones and complexions.  We are ‘Inclusive’! The texture is light-weight and fast absorbing. It does not leave white streaks or leave a grey finish on darker skin complexions.  

Is Soul Story Sun Warrior Sunscreen suitable for people with combination skin – dry skin with oily T-zones?

Yes, we got you. Moisturizing combination skin can be tricky, especially finding a sunscreen that moisturizes and provides protection.   The lightweight sunscreen helps protect skin from both UVA and UVB rays without clogging oily T-zones.

Friendly Sunscreen Reminders

What is the best way to apply sunscreen?

Apply liberally to the face, neck, ear and chest 20 minutes before sun exposure and reapply every two hours. Soul Story Sun Warrior can be applied after daily moisturizer or alone but before makeup application.

For extra protection, use other sun protection measures including sun protective hats, protective clothing and sunglasses.

Don’t forget to apply sunscreen in these common 9 places around your face:

Don’t forget to apply sunscreen in these common 9 places around your face:

1. Upper Headline
2. Top of your ears
3. Corners of your eyes
4. Skin under your nostrils
5. Lower eyelids
6. Crease of your nose
7. Between your nose and lips
8. Around your lips
9. Neck

It is easy to overlook but essential to apply sunscreen in these areas to prevent tanning or worst, a sunburn.

Purifying Cleansing Foam

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