Sunscreen – What skin type am I?

A top, skirt or pants and the new sandals must be taken out the door when you go out on sunny days in the next few weeks. But isn’t there something that needs to be added? Cap and sunglasses, yes. And sunscreen, of course! But which one? And from where? Here, we give you practical tips on sun protection that suit your skin type.

Sun protection – the skin’s own protection time

When choosing the proper sun protection, you should first know your skin’s self-protection time (EZ): the period in which the skin will definitely not suffer any damage outside, such as sunburn.

This is about 5 minutes for children. In adolescents and adults, EZ depends on skin type:

• Light-skinned people, in particular, have a maximum of 10 minutes of self-protection.
• People sensitive to the sun have about 10 to 20 minutes of self-protection.
• Average tanners have a maximum of half an hour of self-protection.
• The range is more extended for dark southern skin. It is a maximum of 90 minutes.

Incidentally, tanned skin has a slightly higher level of self-protection than pale skin since the proportion of the skin pigment melanin is higher. This offers the cells a specific protective function.

 

Sun protection factor: SPF or SPF

There is a number on every bottle or tube of sunscreen: the LSF (sun protection factor) or English SPF (Sun Protection Factor). But how long are you on the safe side with a specific protection factor?

A simple formula calculates self-protection time (EZ) in minutes x sun protection factor (SPF) = minutes you can spend protected in the sun.

For example, Let’s assume that your skin corresponds to skin type I, with a self-protection time of 10 minutes. If you smear yourself with sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 5, your self-protection time will be five times longer. So you can safely stay in the sun for 50 minutes. 

However, if your skin is not used to the sun yet, you should subtract another third of this, meaning that you are only allowed to sunbathe for half an hour or use a higher sun protection factor.

Proper use of sunscreen

Sunscreen should be applied as a thin film to the skin and not rubbed in too firmly. Then, the skin’s self-protection time is effectively extended.

However, repeated application of cream does not additionally increase the skin’s protection time. Nevertheless, one should only do it with the after-cream because bathing, sweating, sand, and drying off gradually rub off the film on the skin, even with waterproof sunscreen.

By the way, The skin also tans under high sun protection factors. So feel free to reach for higher SPF values ​​and play it safe.

 

What skin type am I?

The classification according to skin types goes back to the classification of the US dermatologist Thomas Fitzpatrick. Different factors such as hair colour, eye colour, or the tendency to sunburn are used to determine the skin type.

The following test will help determine your skin type. How sensitive is your skin to light? Choose what applies to you:

Merk­­mal / Haut­typIIIIIIIVVVI

Haar­­farbe with red cast blond brunette Brown black schwarz schwarz

Augen­farbe hell­­blau blue green brown, grey brown, grey braun dark

Som­mer­­­spros­sen many many many few no no no

Haut­­farbe un­­ge­bräunt very bright hell medium bräun­lich dunk­ler dun­kel

Sonnen­­­brand very fast quickly Rare Rare races very rare

Bräu­nung, not quite a fast medium, quickly very fast /

Evaluation: What skin type are you?

It is crucial for the evaluation of which column best describes you. Even if no clear assignment to a column is possible, you can at least develop a trend with the help of the phototype test.

Predominantly answer I: skin type I

You have very sun-sensitive skin with a maximum self-protection time of 5 to 10 minutes. Protect your skin with SPF 40 or 50+ sunscreen, especially when you go on vacation. Avoid the blazing, intense sun.

 

Predominantly answer II: skin type II

You have sun-sensitive skin with a self-protection time of 10 to 20 minutes. Slowly get your skin used to the sun. Protect your skin even if it is already a little tanned. Recommended: SPF 25 to 40.

Predominantly answer III: skin type III

You have less sun-sensitive skin with a self-protection time of 20 to 30 minutes. But you should not overestimate your skin. Start with a cream with SPF 25. Later, you can use lower factors.

Predominantly answer IV: skin type IV

You have sun-insensitive skin with a self-protection time of 30 to 40 minutes. You can as soon as the sun shines on your skin. You should still protect your skin if you stay in the sun for a very long time or are exposed to intense sunlight. Creams with an SPF of 10 or 20 are sufficient for this.

 

Predominantly answer V: skin type V

Your skin is not very sensitive to the sun. Your skin’s self-protection time is about 90 minutes. Even if you don’t get sunburned easily, you should protect your skin with SPF 10 to 15 sunscreen.

Predominantly answer VI: skin type VI.

You have a low risk of sunburn. The self-protection time of your skin is 90 minutes. Lighter skin areas, such as lips or the inside of the hands, should still be protected with SPF 10 to 15 sunscreen.

Sun protection does not just mean sunscreen.

In addition to choosing the right sunscreen and using it adequately, you should also remember to wear appropriate clothing to protect yourself from the sun. Sunglasses and a hat protect your eyes and head from direct sunlight. This protection is also essential for darker skin types because it prevents sunstroke.

Remember that it’s easy to get sunburned in the water. And even if it’s windy or cloudy, you shouldn’t underestimate the sun’s intensity. Stay in the shade, especially at lunchtime – you can get a tan there too.