Questions & answers for sun protection
What's right and wrong within the world of sun protection? Which SPF is ideal for you and what about aftersun - is it necessary? We've answered all the frequently asked questions here.
The sun is wonderful – and dangerous. So enjoy it with care. And remember the Danish Cancer Society's three simple rules:
Shade: Enjoy life in the shade between noon and 3 pm, when the sun is at its harshest and really showing its full strength.
Sun hat: Remember to wear a sun hat and cover your skin with loose clothing when the sun is at its highest.
Sunscreen: Always wear a good sunscreen – and plenty of it! Protect your skin every day. From the first glimpse of spring to the last autumn morning – and all the days in between when the sun is out. Is your skin sensitive to the sun? Use cream rather than oil.
The sun's rays contain two types of ultraviolet (UV) rays: UVA and UVB. These are light rays and invisible to the eye. It is important to protect yourself against both types of rays. UVB rays can cause sunburn and sun rash. UVB rays are the rays most likely to cause skin cancer, while UVA rays can damage the skin's DNA and cause premature ageing of the skin. The Danish Cancer Society recommends that you take extra care when the UV index is 3 or above. So seek shade, use a sun hat and sunscreen.
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and it is the protection that the product provides against UVB rays. The SPF factor is determined by testing sun exposure on human skin and the amount of sunscreen needed to prevent sunburn.
If you should go for SPF 15, 30 or 50 depends on several things. According to the official recommendations from The Danish Health Authority, SPF 15 is sufficient for sun in Denmark, though it may vary depending on your skin type. If you have pale skin, we recommend you use higher protection – SPF 30 or 50, if you are to stay in the sun for a longer period. Besides, we recommend SPF 30 as a minimum when you go to places where the sun is more intense than in Denmark. It’s always a good idea to check the UV-index and do a bit of research on your destination before going – it’s also a good idea to stay updated on the sun’s intensity in Denmark.
Sun filters are the active ingredients in your sun cream that prevent UV rays from penetrating the skin, either by reflecting or absorbing the sun’s rays. Physical filters reflect the rays, while chemical filters absorb them. At Rudolph Care, we have chosen to use five chemical sun filters to protect your skin in all our sun protection products. These five filters meet EU recommendations for the best UVA and UVB protection and have been approved by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. When something has been chemically produced, it means that it can be carefully controlled. This makes it possible for us to have 100% knowledge of the content and effect of the finished product. At Rudolph Care, we are generally of the conviction that good chemistry should be applied where it is of most benefit – and this is the case in our sun range. Chemical filters do not feel greasy or sticky and do not leave white streaks on the skin. They offer effective protection against both UVA and UVB rays by penetrating the upper layers of the skin – in contrast to physical filters that settle as a membrane on top of the skin. The chemical sun filters that protect your skin are:
Ethylhexyl triazone: chemical UVB filter.
Diethylamino hydroxybenzoyl hexyl benzoate: chemical UVA filter.
Diethylhexyl butamido triazone: chemical UVB filter.
Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine: chemical, oil-soluble UVA filter which has a synergy effect on UVB filters and other UV filters.
Bis-ethylhexyloxyphenol methoxyphenyl triazine: chemical, water-soluble UVA filter which has a synergy effect on UVB filters and other UV filters.
Much more than you think! The recommendations state that you should use a generous handful of cream (approx. 40 ml) for your entire body in order to achieve the SPF level indicated on the product label. For the face you need the amount equivalent to a teaspoon, i.e. 6 ml. A child needs a child-sized handful to cover the entire body. It’s quite a large amount, and new studies from the Danish Environmental Protection Agency show that the average Dane doesn’t use sufficient sun protection. A very thin application of SPF 15 sun cream translates into a mere SPF 2-4 on the skin, and that can mean potential sun damage.
We recommend applying two coats of sun cream – one right after the other. Apply generously to achieve full protection and follow the recommendations on seeking shade and avoiding sun at midday in order to get the best sun protection for your skin.
Always remember to reapply sun cream after swimming or sweating. The products are water-resistant but their sun protection efficacy is reduced after contact with water.
Protect yourself once too often rather than once too little – and after every dip, if you have been perspiring or you have dried yourself with a towel.
As a rule of thumb, always keep your sun products in the shade and at room temperature - preferably below 20 degrees celcius. At the beach do try to keep your sunscreen cool in the shade or with your cold beverages.
Rudolph Care’s sun products last for up to six months after they’re opened. If you have a few remains left over from last summer that were exposed to heat and sunlight, we recommend that you toss it. If you’ve stored the opened container in a cool, dark place, it’s fine to use. If the sun cream smells strange or separates, bin it.
The protection does not deteriorate. But the sun protection range does consist of organic, natural ingredients with limited shelf life and we can’t guarantee your cream to smell and feel just like we intend it to do if it has been opened and used for more than six month. That’s why we say that an opened sun product lasts for one sun season only.
In Kids Sun Lotion we’ve removed the active ingredients and the natural perfume. Though you’ll still find soothing, calming and moisturizing ingredients – cucumber, for example. The rest of the sun series contain plenty of active ingredients that nourish and care for the skin in the sun, and it contains natural perfume.
The Nordic Swan Ecolabel is your guarantee that the product you're using is considerate of both your health and that of the environment. It's also a quality stamp, ensuring nothing but good ingredients. The Nordic Swan Ecolabel allows only specific sun filters and prohibits sun filters that are on the EU's list of substances suspected of being endocrine disruptors or proven to be allergens.
Besides, the Nordic Swan Ecolabel prohibits the sun filters Benzophenone-3 and Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate that harm corals - which is why you will never find these in our sun series.
This is due to the simple reason that we do not agree with COSMOS’s sun filter policy. They only approve physical filters. We have chosen to use 5 effective chemical sun filters that are neither greasy, sticky nor leave a white residue while they effectively protect against both UVA and UVB. The 5 sun filters are all approved by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel. It's your guarantee that you, the environment and your health are taken into account.
No. This question is highly relevant though. Not many people think about how the products we apply on a daily basis impact the seas and oceans we swim in all over the world. When you use Rudolph Care sun cream, you can be sure that we have thought about these things for you. All Rudolph Care sun protection products carry the Nordic Swan Ecolabel which ensures that your sun protection does not damage you or the environment around you – including precious coral reefs. The benzophenone-3 and ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate sun filters are suspected of being endocrine disruptors – and more recent studies show that these two sun filters change the DNA of corals and cause hormone disruptions which make young corals die. You will never see these two filters used in our products. This means that you can confidently take your Rudolph Care sun cream with you when you travel and swim in the sea without having to worry.
Because the sunscreen's texture, spreadability and characteristics are important to us. We have for example added nourishing ingredients such as chamomile and soothing and moisturizing cucumber. Unfortunately, Asthma Allergy Nordic doesn't approve of these ingredients and that’s why we’ve chosen not to be certified with Asthma Allergy Nordic. Kids Sun Lotion is certified with the Nordic Swan Ecolabel – your guarantee that special consideration has been given to the environment and to your health. And that the quality is good. Kids Sun Lotion also carries the AllergyCertified label which is your guarantee that the product contains no known allergens or allergenic preservatives and that each individual ingredient has been assessed by a toxicologist and is 100% fragrance-free.
Our sun series contains between 20 and 25 percent organic ingredients. Under the list of ingredients, we state the organic percentage of the product concerned. 20 and 25 percent ecology may not seem like much, but water for instance counts as a natural ingredient and not as an organic one. And water (aqua on the ingredient list) is often the main ingredient.
Yes and no. Kids Sun Lotion doesn’t contain perfume, though the rest of the series contains a delicate, natural perfume made from natural oils without synthetic ingredients. We have chosen a natural perfume that is completely free of the 26 declarable allergenic fragrances that cause the strongest reactions in people and which the EU recommends avoiding.
Yes, all of our sun protection, besides Sun Face Cream, is water resistant. Though after bathing and drying, some of the sun protection will be washed off despite the water resistance. To maintain full protection, be sure to apply sunscreen after a dip in the water.
Well, you don’t HAVE to use aftersun, though you’ll do your skin a great favor if you do. Aftersun repairs and cools down your skin after a day in the sun – in our sun series you’ll find both the refreshing spray Aftersun Repair Spray and cooling gel, Aftersun Shimmer Sorbet or Aftersun Soothing Sorbet.
Always go for this rule of thumb: a handful for the body and the amount equivalent to a teaspoon for the face. To achieve optimum protection we recommend applying two coats of sunscreen, separating the recommended amounts into two applications. This both gives your skin a chance to keep up with the absorption of the sunscreen and you’ll minimize the risk of missing any spots.
Sunscreen can cause stains and discoloration to clothing and other items. Therefore, give the sunscreen time to absorb before getting dressed – it’s the sun filters that protect you from UVA & UVB rays that may cause stains. You can prevent it if you let yourself air-dry well. Also consider leaving your most delicate and white clothing at home. And lastly, you can minimize that risk of stains if you wash your hands after applying sunscreen.
If you already got a stain, we recommend following these three steps:
1. Apply ample liquid detergent to dyed fabrics directly on the stain and allow it to stand overnight. This will make the textile fibers lift and expand, making the stain easier to remove.
2. Wash the item according to the instructions on the label.
3. Repeat the process 2-3 times if necessary.
IMPORTANT: Do NOT use detergent with optical brighteners, bleach or stain remover with OXI action; it may worsen the stain and make it more difficult to remove.
Some sun creams can soften or dissolve nail polish, and even though that may sound a little toxic, there is nothing dangerous in our sun product. Sun creams today contain high UV protection with many filters, so it’s necessary to add a large quantity of softening oils in order to ensure that the sun cream applies smoothly to the skin. These oils are the reason that your nail polish may become softened. Nail polish requirements have also become stricter, which means that they dissolve more easily.