Which sunscreen is right for you at Menopause?

Our skin is more susceptible to sun damage at and after menopause, making the use of sunscreen critical for healthy skin. I recently learned about why the sunscreen I use during my run leaves white patches on my face, and about alternatives that won’t leave this white residue, in a discussion with the MelaninDocs - Dr Abhijit and Gauri Desai.

Learn about physical, chemical, and hybrid sunscreens and how to identify which one is right for you at menopause.

TRANSCRIPT

Question MenopauseWize: What are the types of sunscreens available and how do we choose one that’s right for us?

Answer MelaninDocs: Sunscreens are available as physical and chemical. So chemical sunscreens are the ones that actually need to get absorbed into your skin and then they will act by reflecting the sun's UV rays, or they will absorb the UV rays but kind of dissipate them and not let them do harm, you know that is the mechanism of action. So you need to apply it about minutes before you leave and you know and step into the sun. They have to be applied minutes in advance. 

The next kind of sunscreen is physical sunscreens. Physical sunscreens actually act like a physical shield. So they act like a barrier and they reflect off the UVs. Now physical sunscreens are the ones that used to leave a lot of the white, you know, kind of Sheen. It's called a white cast on the skin. That's because the main ingredient in physical sunscreens is zinc oxide and zinc oxide was thick which led to this cast. You know, you see sports people with that white cricketers earlier. But nowadays they make smaller molecules, it's called micronized zinc oxide. So the micronized version leaves very little white residue. So now a lot more people can still use physical sunscreens without it showing so much, you know, and physical sunscreens are actually good ones. You can wear them immediately before you step out because they just give you physical protection. They are good for people with sensitive skin. So even in menopause, when your skin starts becoming a little more sensitive if you, you know, incorporate a physical or a hybrid one which has a chemical and physical then. That way you're kind of, you know, shielding your skin physically as well as giving less sensitivity issues even in babies. Like you, yourself said, you chose a kids one. So the kids ones are usually physical because you don't want any ingestion, you don't want any, you know, hyperactive reactivity to it. So physical sunscreens are meant basically for that reason that you know, you can wear them.

Question MenopauseWize:

 Are they as effective then?

Answer the MelaninDocs:

It's just that they have the, they have the problem of. They show on your skin, but they're not as you as you're likely. That's a quick you are running. You didn't mind it, but a lot of people mind that because they don't want it to be seen as that. Secondly, it doesn't. It doesn't match the brown skin tone. If a Caucasian wears that, it's hardly noticeable. But on brown skin, it is gonna look too whitish so the idea is not to shy away from your brown skin. We are all proud of our brown skin so a lot of people felt that no, this is. But that's what when she said right now that the newer ones are micronized. To a large extent, the white cast is no longer reduced. So I think now that's what made even physical sunscreen I should rightly say. There is also a combination one which is physical and chemical. So in that you really get you know the best kind of I would say texture and and the aesthetic look that you want. So there's a lot available now. We are really in the times when a lot of things are getting done nicely. So I think people have a lot of choices. This is always better. I don't know about that because of choices. You know when you go into a store and you're seeing like these fifty types of sunscreen that decision fatigue like what am I going to choose out of these fifty? I need someone to sort it out for me and tell me, hey listen, just pick this and pick this and I will just order it online. You know, I'll as I, you know, as I said, as I said earlier. Nobody should get too obsessed or bogged down by the numbers of PA plus plus plus OK, all of them will give you an equal amount of sun protection. OK, as she mentioned earlier whether it's, or doesn't make much of a difference, so people get bogged down in all that reading. Too many things on the pack confuse you. What they should do is when there is a tester pack, apply it on the hands. See how they like the texture? If they have dry skin and this feels hydrating, good one. If they have oily skin, this is nice. Dry touch. Doesn't feel anything. Doesn't feel sticky. Good work if they select it that way. That's where I come to my point. You like it, You don't need anybody else to choose it for you. You can be your best judge. Don't go on these numbers and get confused by all these things. 

Question MenopauseWize: OK, let's let's put the numbers aside. But say today I want to just pick something which is. A has got cover, so that we've we've covered, OK. It'll have a cover. Don't worry about the number, OK. The second thing is I want to make sure it doesn't leave this white thing on my face. So then should I then while picking a sunscreen? Make sure it doesn't have zinc oxide. 

Answer the MelaninDocs:

Oh, it has micronized zinc oxide. Yes, you could look for something that has micronized zinc oxide and again, you could choose a hybrid one. Those usually have less zinc oxide because they already have a chemical one. So they would have less of the zinc oxide in them anyway, see, and like Abhijit was just saying, you know, very often now you can try them out in a store or in some place. So if you could try one and see what suits you, you know because even when we talk about brown, it's not one shade of brown. So something that I like or I think suits my tone may not be OK for him. You know, so it's a kind of a personal preference to that when it comes to that. But you can just try one and then you know. 

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