As any dermatologist or skin specialist can tell you, all skin is prone to wrinkles, aged spots and sun damage. And protecting it from the UVA and UVB rays radiated by the sun is essential in maintaining a youthful appearance.
Do I Need to Use Sunscreen if I Have a Beard?
You have probably heard or know that hair can protect the skin from UV radiation. However, not completely. This especially depends on the length, density, coverage consistency and the amount of hair covering an area.
One study showed that facial hair actually has a UPF (ultraviolet protection factor) rating range of 2 to 21.
Similar to an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) rating, UPF ratings are a sun protection label for clothing opposed to skin. A big, dense and bushy beard potentially has an okay UPF rating of 20. Clothing with a rating of UPF30 is generally considered safe and effective to use as sun protection.
However, this is only in regards to a really dense and thick beard. And even so, there's still damage that can be prevented.
How to Apply Sunscreen with a Beard
You can apply SPF with a bear just like an other area of your body. You can apply sunscreen on to areas of the beard where more skin is exposed and into the base of the hair. But here are two things to consider that make this even easier.
1.
Use an SPF without a White Cast.
Yes you can pick a chemical sunscreen but we do not recommend it. Chemical sunscreens absorb UV radiation into your skin where it's then metabolised by your body and excreted through heat.
So your other option is mineral sunscreen. And although these are prone to leaving a white cast, there are mineral sunscreens available that leave no white cast (which would be more noticeable the darker the hair colour).
2.
Use a Moisturiser with your SPF
Everyone should be moisturising and wearing SPF daily. This is due to the fact that hydration is essential to the function and efficiency of your cell processes and that UV radiation is one of the biggest causes of skin aging.
So why not combine both?
By incorporating a daily SPF moisturiser into your routine, you keep your skin cells looking bright, feeling soft and running smoothly, whilst shielding it from unnecessary damage and the risk of skin cancer. A sunscreen like Super Sun SPF50 is an antioxidant rich daily moisturiser. It's 100% mineral but the best part - no white cast. Allowing your skin to reap the benefits of a highly nourishing and anti-inflammatory SPF.