There are many reasons why men’s sunscreen should be a part of your daily skincare regimen. Harmful UV rays are damaging your skin every day, sunrise to sunset, whether through cloudy skies or on an extremely warm and sunny day – UV rays are always beating down on your skin. Using a sun protective product for your skin is more important now than ever – because the ozone layer is depleting. You might ask yourself what the ozone layer has to do with wearing men’s sunscreen or protecting your skin – we will be diving into the connection between the two below.
The Ozone layer is a layer of ‘Ozone gas’ that floats in our atmosphere, approximately 9 to 18 miles above the ground, that absorbs most UV radiation and consequently shields us form a large number of UV rays we would otherwise be exposed to. Without the layer of Ozone gas in our atmosphere, the earth is exposed to an increased amount of UV rays, which is resulting in slowly approaching yet severe consequences. Some of these consequences are damages to plants and other wildlife and 10% more UV ray exposure for us as humans now than in previous decades.
Ozone depletion
Now that we have addressed what the ozone layer is, we need to address the fact that it is depleting at a rapid rate, due to man-made chemicals released into the atmosphere. Some of these include chemicals in coolants, hairspray and other aerosol cans. The increased depletion of the ozone layer has extensive side effects on our skin, as UV radiation has increased by 10% in the past two decades. The additional 10% of UV protection can have a significant impact on your skin and overall health. We are essentially exposed to significantly more UV rays and need to take additional preventative measures than generations before us.
Effects on your skin
The depletion of the ozone layer in the long run, will subject your skin to an increased amount of UV rays. The consequences of increased UV ray exposure can include melanoma, earlier aging, dark spots, burns and other sun-related damages. Studies have suggested that the cases of skin cancer and melanomas related to UV ray exposure have drastically increased in the last decades. Not wearing sun protective products such as men’s sunscreen may have increased consequences on individuals exposed to the sun without protection in recent years. Make sure to wear your sun protective products, and also wear it correctly, according to the packaging. Applying men’s sunscreen once a day on a sunny day is not enough. Men’s sunscreen should be applied daily in every weather and should also be applied frequently during the day, about every two to three hours.
Effects on your eyes
Not just your skin, but also your eyes may suffer irreparable damages from the increased UV exposure due to the depletion of the ozone layer. UV ray exposure can damage your eyes and their retina after continuous exposure. Additionally, UVA rays in particular, can cause cataracts – which is a form of cloudiness in your eye, that can severely debilitate your sight. Furthermore, Increased UV exposure can cause local as well as general immunosuppression. Hand in hand with this, go decreased immune function, increased vulnerability, and infectious diseases – however these have been difficult to measure to this date.
What can we do to help the Ozone layer replenish itself, and protect ourselves from the increased UV radiation? In order to stay healthy and protected, make sure you wear sunglasses to protect your eyes. To protect your skin, cover up with clothing as much as possible and use men’s sunscreen to protect the other areas of your skin. As an extra measure, you can purchase vitamin D supplements in order to boost your immune system. In order to aide the efforts of helping the Ozone layer replenish itself and fix the existing hole in it, you can decrease the number of aerosol products you purchase and also look out for any products with refrigeration coolants that are harmful to the ozone layer. Lastly, protect your cooling devices such as air conditioning units in your home and car, and maintain it correctly by a licensed technician, in order to ensure the products are ozone-friendly, and you maximize the lifespan of your air-conditioning.
An additional measure that you can take is to stock up on antioxidants. Whether you consume antioxidant-rich foods or utilize supplements – antioxidants can be beneficial to your health and aide your eyes and skin in the presence of sunlight. Antioxidants are not only beneficial for your eyes and skin, but also for your overall health. Trying to increase your consumption of antioxidants is a no brainer. Antioxidants can be found in many fruits, vegetables, and other ingredients. For example, fruits such as blueberries, raspberries, and pomegranate contain antioxidants, kale, pecans and dark chocolate do too. Therefore, if you are a healthy eater, it is easy to stock up on antioxidants and incorporate them into your usual diet and snacks.
To conclude, the depletion of the Ozone layer has a scientifically proven hole that is enabling 10% more UV radiation to reach the earth than in previous generations. The damage to the Ozone layer has already been done, yet efforts to ban aerosols and limit the amount of ozone layer damaging chemicals to be released into the atmosphere are enabling the slow repair of the ozone layer. As a society, we can inform ourselves, and be more conscious of ongoing environmental issues and make an effort to help. While you are helping the environment, don’t forget about yourself – use plenty of men’s sunscreen to protect yourself from the increased UV rays, and rock those shades to protect your eyes and sight. There are many things you can do to protect yourself from the sun and its rays, and it’s your job to stay informed. You can always just start with wearing men’s sunscreen consistently, that’ll work for now.