Our Korean intern Su-gyeong knows all about heat back home and protecting our skin. She shares her tips for doing so under the Mediterranean sky. With her own self-shot video…
Spain’s sunscreen culture is different from that in South Korea. What most surprised me when I first
came to Spain was the scorching sun in Spain. It is more intense than imagination can warn you.
The UV rays and sunlight in Spain are much stronger than in Korea. I’ve never felt this even in the
summer sun in Korea. If you stay out in the sun for a long time, your skin will feel like it’s burning and
your eyes will sting from the glare.
While the sun’s glare was surprising me, what surprised me even more was that many Spanish didn’t seem to put on sunscreen, even in this very hot sun. When I walked down the street, their skin was always red and swollen or very sensitive. I was very surprised by this because in Korea, there is a high level of degree of interest for skin beauty. The use of sun protection products is common.
Why do you have to put on sunscreen?
Do you apply sunscreen? In this article, I wanted to let you know, Valencia Life readers, about the
importance of sunscreen and skin health. We all need to put on sunscreen to protect our skin from the
sun’s UV rays. Everyone, young and old, should apply it every day, even on rainy or cloudy days.
The effects of UV rays
UV rays threaten our skin health and accelerate the ageing of our skin. UV rays cause pigmentation
and wrinkling of the skin, and are the main cause of sunburn. In severe cases, it can cause basal cell
carcinoma, squamous cell carcinoma, and melanoma, which are forms of skin cancer. UV rays from the sun are present not only on sunny days, but also on cloudy and even snowy days.
Even in cloudy weather, up to 80% of the sun’s UV rays reach the earth. If you don’t protect your skin
in cloudy weather, it can be damaged. Therefore, we should apply sunscreen regardless of how much
sunlight is apparent.
How to apply sunscreen
Sunscreen should be applied as the last step in your skincare routine, using a finger-sized amount on
your face. Be sure to also apply it to exposed areas of your body, such as the back of your neck, ears,
arms and legs. Apply 20-30 minutes before you go outside to allow the sunscreen to absorb into your
skin and make the most protection.
How to choose sunscreen
The SPF index on a sunscreen’s label means Sun Protection Factor. If you’re going to be outdoors for
long time, we recommend an SPF factor of 30 or higher, perhaps even 50 for the fair-skinned. For occasional sun exposure, an SPF of 15 is recommended.
You can use the right sunscreen for you depends on your skin type. If you don’t like a chalky or sticky
texture, you can choose a sunscreen with a different texture like cream, stick, and spray etc.
Along with sunscreen, wearing a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, and sun-protective clothing will help
you stay protected from UV rays.
Conclusion – I can’t emphasise sunscreen enough
Sunscreen needs to be applied daily to be effective. In fact, a 2016 study found that people who used
sunscreen every day for a year saw significant improvements in the appearance of their skin.
Improvements were especially seen in skin texture, clarity, and mottled pigmentation. Also, don’t
forget to throughly cleanse your sunscreen when you get home.
Let’s all keep our skin safe!