It is important to never underestimate the effect of sun on your skin. It is an unfortunate reality of today that many of our beauty trends and our preconceptions of how people should look have lead to unhealthy skin practices on a wide variety of levels. The effect of sun on your skin is the single most damaging factor in the life of most people's skin, and yet thousands of people take no care whatsoever to reduce this impact. This is why it is becoming more and more important that people do become aware of the effect of sun on your skin, in the hope that the knowledge of how dangerous the sun really is will allow us to protect ourselves better and to stay looking young much longer.

The effect of sun on your skin begins with the way the sun’s rays destroy collagen. Collagen is the substance that gives your skin its elasticity, and without it, wrinkles begin to form and your skin begins to sag lifelessly on your face. Although this doesn't sound like a condition that many people would enjoy, people still ignore this effect of sun on your skin and continue to lie in the sun for hours on end. It is obvious that people are not going to give up going outside, however, it is absolutely essential that when they do, they are wearing a strong sunscreen at all time in order to protect themselves from those damaging rays. The cheap sunscreens of the past are history, and there are now many high quality sun screens that will not make your skin dry out, or oily, and many that contain an added moisturizer. Using these products will protect the collagen in your skin for many years to come. It is important to remember as well, that collagen does not grow back, once the sun has destroyed it, it is gone forever, so don't underestimate this effect of sun on your skin.

The effect of sun on your skin often produces a tan, which unfortunately many people consider to be healthy and vibrant looking. A tan is actually evidence that your skin has been damaged, not that it is healthy, and should be avoided. If that tanned look is truly important to you, begin to look to artificial tanning agents. Many of these are now much more effective than products in the past, and no longer produce that orange tint that people found so distasteful. In any event, using an artificial product will prevent you from suffering the effect of sun on your skin.

So just remember, keep wearing your sunscreen and stay out of the sun when possible. Those sun's rays might feel nice, but every second that you are spending in the sun without protection you are suffering the effect of sun on your skin which is irreversible in many of its consequences. The problem is getting worse as our ozone layer continues to thin, so it is important to become even more vigilant as time goes on.