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by Shirley Bragg
for About.com

Q. How do Sunscreens Work?

A.

Here is how your sunscreen protects you from sun burns and aging skin... in a nutshell.

To start off, sunscreens and sunblocks are not the same thing, but for this article, I am concentrating on explaining how a sunscreen works as that is what most of us are using at the moment. Believe it or not, your sunscreen contains chemicals that actually absorbs the rays and then scatters them. This means that the length of the rays are altered enough to prevent serious damage.

Did You Know...
Eighty percent of lifetime exposure to sunlight occurs before the age 18. That means that for some of us, it is too late to worry about the damage that has already taken place. The good news is that the rest of you have a far better chance of protecting yourself from skin cancer, and guaranteeing great looking skin in the future.

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