Sun Awareness Week 2022 | SPF Guide
It’s Sun Awareness Week! A week where people around the UK and beyond reflect on the powerful damage the sun can cause to our bodies, and together we can work to raise awareness to protect others from harmful UV rays and the possibility of skin cancer.
This Sun Awareness Week, we want to delve deep into the world of SPF, how it works for each ethnic group and which affordable Pak Cosmetic products are best for day to day sun protection.
What is Sun Awareness week?
Summer is almost among us! Brighter days, longer nights and positive summer vibes, a time we all anticipate after long, cold winters here in the UK. However, recent studies have shown that citizens of the UK are at risk of skin cancer, with over 16,000 new skin cancer cases every year.
The British Association of Dermatologists ( https://www.bad.org.uk/ ) use this key week in the calendar to enforce the need for daily sun protection for people of every age and race! As well as inspiring people to make active changes and therefore encourage others and ultimately reduce skin cancer cases by sharing this important knowledge.
The theme for Sun Awareness Week 2022 is “early detection” to teach people how to detect possible skin cancer on their bodies before it's too late. The signs of possible skin cancer are typically changes to moles, such as differences in size, colour, feel or bleeding from moles, as well irregular lesions that may be discoloured, itchy, or irritated.
SPF and Ethnicity
At Pak’s, we love our large community of black customers that have been coming to us for years now. What makes us different here at Pak’s from your usual hair and beauty store, is that we cater to every type of person from all ethnic backgrounds with products and supplies to help solve everyone's beauty and personal care needs.
Recent studies have shown that people in the black community are roughly prescribed sunscreen or SPF related products 9 times less than caucasian people, because of the natural SPF they have in their skin. However, the common myth of people with darker skin being ‘immune’ to skin cancer is completely wrong, which may have stemmed from the fact that they may have a lower statistic of skin cancer cases.
Conversations between Gen-Z members of the black community online show encouragement between one another to take extra steps to use SPF products, claiming they “weren’t always raised to do it”.
This is something that has now been called the “sunscreen gap” with only the white community being educated on the harmfulness of the sun and its UV rays. This has resulted in skin cancer cases in the black community to be more likely diagnosed in their later stages, than skin cancer cases which were spotted in the early stages in caucasian people.
We want to break the sunscreen gap. If you are a black person and not regularly wearing SPF or checking your skin for signs of changes that may be an indication of skin cancer, you should actively start to make this a part of your daily routine. Remember that you are not immune from skin cancer and it is important to spread this message to your friends and family this Sun Awareness Week 2022!
SPF Products on a Budget
We want to make SPF products accessible for everyone and every budget. From daily sun creams to SPF based makeup and lip balms, we really have it all.
Avoid dryness and harmful UV rays with the Ambre Solaire 24H Hydration Protection Lotion SPF 30 This sunscreen is produced by one of the most prolific and protecting sunscreen brands in the UK and beyond. Formulated with enriching, sustainably-sourced shea butter for a nourishing yet protecting formula, perfect for a family on the go!
Need quick UV protection without the stickiness or wait time of a cream-based sunscreen? The Ambre Solaire UV Water Protecting Spray SPF 30 is perfect for on-the-go protection. With no residue or drying wait time and a lightweight formulation, this product is perfect for protecting skin immediately from potential damage caused by UVB and UVA rays.
Applying SPF creams to your face can be tricky, especially if you are prone to having sensitive skin or skin issues such as acne and inflammations, so investing a little more into your face SPF creams may be an important step for you to avoid skin issues from occurring. Our best SPF for face protection is the Mielle Pomegranate and Honey Illuminating Lotion with SPF 15 ,an amazing daily moisturiser which hydrates the skin leaving you feeling ultra-soft and smooth, all whilst protecting you from harmful sun rays!
If you are looking for makeup that looks great whilst protecting you against UVA and UVB whilst being at an accessible price point, we recommend the Sukin Suncare Sheer Touch Tinted Sunscreen with SPF 30 available from shades light to dark! This tinted
sunscreen gives you an all-natural glow, whilst covering skin imperfections designed for daily use and protectant.
You can find our vast range of SPF protecting products, including sun cream lotions and moisturisers with SPF here