Diary
Summer or winter, in town or at the beach, sunglasses protect your eyes and complete your look. But how to choose them? Canopea reviews the technical and aesthetic criteria to help you to choose your next pair of sunglasses.
Sunglasses: what does the CE mark on the frame mean? From souvenir stores to fast fashion stores, you can find sunglasses everywhere. Since 1995, a European standard requires the CE mark on the frames. Products bearing this mark filter 99% of UVA and 99.9% of UVB rays. Unfortunately, this marking is easy to fake and does not provide any real assurance on the quality of the product. Beware of glasses sold on the sly, especially by street vendors.
Sunglasses: 5 protection indexes
A common misconception is that the more tinted a lens is, the more UV protection it provides. The tint of the lens has nothing to do with UV protection. The function of a tinted lens is to protect from glare, not UV. Some corrective lenses, as well as most contact lenses, although completely clear, have a UV filter. Sunglasses are classified in 5 categories, from 0 to 4, from the lightest to the darkest lenses. These categories allow you to adapt your sunglasses to the weather conditions and your activities:
- category 0 : little protection, aesthetic interest above all, can be used in winter ;
- category 1 : little sunshine, grey weather, cloudy cover;
- category 2 : sunny conditions, for use in the city;
- category 3 : strong sunlight, to be used in summer and for outdoor activities (vacations, sea, mountain, winter sports...);
- category 4 : extreme sunlight, especially in case of intense reflections (glaciers, high mountain and sea excursions). These highly tinted glasses should not be worn while driving.
The right frame for every face shape
Every year, fashion dictates particular eyewear shapes. Being fashionable may be tempting, but it's better to have a frame that fits your face shape, rather than a trendy model that won't show you off. If you have a round face, you can reinforce this aspect by choosing glasses that are also round, or on the contrary, play on the contrasts by adopting a frame with angular shapes. If your face is square or rectangular, you can soften it with an oval frame, or accentuate its character with geometrically shaped glasses, like a cat eye or butterfly, for example. For long faces, choosing round or oval shapes will round it out. If you have an oval face, there's no question about it; any shape will do. If your face is small and thin then discreet glasses will avoid drowning your face behind your frame. Large frames are best for thick hair. If, on the other hand, you have short hair, or a hairstyle that clears the face, avoid large frames that would take up too much space.
For children, sunglasses are essential
For your child, sunglasses are as essential for his eyes as sun screen is for his skin. Until the age of 12, the lens of a toddler is not yet fully formed and must be put under high protection. Children's eyes are much more sensitive to UV rays than those of adults. Before the age of one, the retina absorbs 90% of UVA and 50% of UVB. Before 12 years, 60% of UVA and 25% of UVB. It is only from the age of 25 that the lens is formed and stops a large part of the UV. Children should not be exposed to the sun. When going out, wearing a hat will protect their eyes and skin. Around 6-8 months, when your baby can sit up, you can introduce his first pair of sunglasses. It's best to buy them from an optician to make sure they are really protective.