Wear your facial sun protection……and wear it daily!! Wear your facial sun protection……and wear it daily!! Wear your facial sun protection……and wear it daily!!
When it comes to skincare, prevention is better than cure.
The sun and its harmful effects can be one of the most damaging elements our skin has to face. Not only does this lead to formation of lines, wrinkles, and discolouration – it can lead to more serious skin conditions, including skin cancer. As the occurrence of dangerous skin cancers continues to rise, there is overwhelming data that supports consistent sunscreen use. Taking care in the sun will not only help to protect you from skin cancer but will prevent the outward signs of aging. So if you are wanting a tan this summer, the only safe way to tan is to fake it.
The best beauty tip anyone can ever give you is to wear an SPF sunscreen every day, even when it is grey and cloudy outside as the damaging UVA and UVB rays can penetrate cloud and glass. It is important to choose a sunscreen that protects against both as they can both damage your skin. UVB rays are the rays that cause tanning and sunburn. Sunburn cannot only be very painful and look awful but is very dangerous for your skin as it increases your risks of developing skin cancer. UVA light penetrates deeper into the skin than UVB light and can cause premature ageing including wrinkles, age spots, pigmentation and loss of skin elasticity.
Many sunscreens will say they offer “full-spectrum” protection. However, the ingredients to look for are octinoxate, oxybenzone, octisalate, octocrylene and Octyl methoxycinnamate that absorb the UV radiation, as well as physical blockers such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide that reflect or scatter UVB and UVA rays rather than let them pass through the skin. The best ones to buy need to contain both ingredients to deflect & absorb, to eliminate as many rays as possible.
Sun protection factor (SPF) alone does not provide total protection against UV skin damage. However, it can be achieved when used in combination with a topical antioxidant.
I’ll write about antioxidants next time.
Cosmetic Nurse Practitioner