Hyphen Ultra Light Water Sunscreen SPF 50 PA ++++ For UVA-UVB Protection
Review
Ultra Light Water SPF 50 PA++++ from Hyphen is a good product.
This sunscreen offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
UVA ages our skin, UVB causes sunburn, and both can cause skin cancer.
A sunscreen with SPF 50 offers 98% protection against the sun’s UVB rays.
This sunscreen is PA++++. PA stands for protection grade against the sun’s UVA rays. PA++++ means it offers extremely high protection against UVA rays, up to 95%.
One of the ingredients in this product, Methylene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetra Methlybutylphenol, also offers protection against blue light from electronic devices. Blue light is not as harmful to the skin as the sun’s UV rays but can cause oxidative stress, which causes premature skin ageing.
This sunscreen does not cause a white cast on our skin. The white cast is a problem with many sunscreens. It can sometimes be uncomfortable to wear such sunscreens on top of makeup or even without makeup during the day. This sunscreen has no such problems.
It has 10% anti-inflammatory ingredients. Cica, aloe, and chamomile have anti-inflammatory properties. If we include niacinamide, fourth on the ingredient list, the anti-inflammatory properties add up to over 10%.
Anti-inflammatory ingredients calm and soothe the skin. The sun’s UV rays cause redness and irritation. If not controlled effectively, this will lead to dark spots and pigmentation. Anti-inflammatory ingredients calm the redness and hugely reduce the chances of pigmentation forming.
The product also has antioxidant ingredients that add up to around 5% – cica and Vitamin E. Antioxidants negate the destructive behaviour of free radicals. Free radicals are the molecules that are formed on the skin due to exposure to the sun’s UV rays,
Additionally, it has good hydrating ingredients. Skin loses hydration when exposed to skin. These hydrating ingredients help reduce this loss.
This is a good sunscreen.
A word of caution
Remember that sunscreen’s protection starts declining with time, and it must be reapplied at least every two hours. If you apply it just once and are out the whole day, it is as if you have no sunscreen after 2 hours.
How to use the product?
Sunscreens should be the last layer of skincare product you apply.
If you have a vitamin C or niacinamide serum, apply that first. Then, follow up with a moisturiser and top it off with sunscreen.
If you apply makeup, sunscreen should go on top of the makeup.
Ingredient 1 – Aqua
Function: Solvent
It helps in dissolving other ingredients in the product.
Dissolved ingredients can spread better on the skin.
Ingredient 2 – Ethylhexyl Methoxycinnamate
Function: Sunscreen
It protects against the Sun’s UVB rays, which are responsible for skin cancer and sunburn. However, it does not offer protection against the Sun’s UVA rays.
This ingredient is not very stable. It starts losing its protection ability in about 30 minutes. It should be combined with other sunscreen agents to give the sunscreen a more stable protection.
This ingredient is also called Octinoxate.
Ingredient 3 – Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Vera) Extract
Function: Humectant, Anti-inflammatory
It holds on to water molecules and prevents them from leaving, thus hydrating the skin.
It calms, soothes and reduces inflammation in skin. When we are exposed to sunlight, our skin tends to become inflamed. Therefore, having a sunscreen with a soothing ingredient is useful, as it reduces inflammation.
Ingredient 4 – Niacinamide
Function: Anti-inflammatory, Anti-pigmentation
It reduces redness and calms the skin.
It reduces the appearance of dark spots and dark patches on the skin.
Ingredient 5 – Dicaprylyl Carbonate
Function: Emollient, Texture enhancer
It forms a thin layer on the skin’s surface and reduces the loss of hydration from the skin into the atmosphere through evaporation, thus helping to keep the skin hydrated. This ingredient is a ‘dry emollient’, meaning it gives skin a smooth feel and not a greasy/oily feel. It does not leave a residue behind.
It enhances the texture of the product and makes the other ingredients in the product glide easily on the skin.
Ingredient 6 – Methlyene Bis-Benzotriazolyl Tetra Methlybutylphenol
Function: Sunscreen
It offers broad spectrum protection, meaning it offers protection against both UVA and UVB. UVA rays are responsible for skin cancer and sun burn. UVB rays are responsible for skin cancer and skin ageing. This is a hybrid sunscreen filter. Hybrids filters are half-way between physical and chemical sunscreen filters. Physical filters offer protection by reflecting sun’s uv rays. Chemical filters offer protection by absorbing sun’s uv rays. This ingredient is photostable meaning it does not degrade and lose its protection ability quickly under uv rays influence. This ingredient is also called Tinosorb M. This ingredient also offers protection against blue light from electronic devices. Blue light does not damage DNA like sun’s UV rays can but it can cause oxidative stress. Oxidative stress causes premature ageing of skin.
Ingredient 7 – Glycerin
Function: Humectant
It pulls water molecules from the atmosphere to the top layer of the skin. This way, it hydrates the skin.
Ingredient 8 – Diethylamino Hydroxybenzoyl Hexyl Benzoate
Function: Sunscreen
It protects against the Sun’s UVA rays, which are resposnible for skin cancer and skin ageing. It is photostable, meaning it does not become unstable and lose its protection ability when exposed to sun’s rays. Photo stability is an issue with a few sunscreen agents. This ingredient is recommended to be used upto 10% only. In this product, hopefully it is being used at 10% or under. It is also called Uvinal A.
Ingredient 9 – Centella Asiatica
Function: Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant
It calms and soothes the skin. Repairs damage to the skin.
Ingredient 10 – Steareth-21
Function: Emulsifier
Keeps the oil-based and water-based ingredients in the product together – blends, unlike ingredients. Without emulsifiers, ingredients in the product will separate.
