Sun Protection Is a Must

More Out of Monday:  Beauty Tips

By Jeffrie Ann Hall (Esthetician)

Been spending time in the sun? Like to get out when the weather is warm?  Do you still spend ample time outdoors even when summer is over?

Ever thought about HOW enjoying the sun, at home or on vacation, can affect how you AGE?

Using SUNSCREEN is a huge part of Anti-Aging Skin Care!  By now pretty much everyone should know that…hopefully.   And those of us who are over 30 will be seeing changes in our skin – obvious changes if you have neglected the use of a good sunscreen.

SUNSCREEN is ANTI-AGING Treatment!

So, even if you are young you should be thinking about Anti-Aging and the role sunscreen plays in it. And if you are over 30 and didn’t use sunscreen as a younger woman, you may well be wishing you did!  If that is the case, start using sunscreen NOW if you haven’t already. And for any damage that you are seeing now, fine lines, wrinkles, discoloration, etc., my Anti-Aging Secret will take care of that in no time at all. I am living proof of that!

When I was younger there was not a lot available as far as products to prevent or slow the aging process. And we didn’t even know the role sunscreen can play in the prevention of visible signs of aging, mostly because sunscreen as we know it today wasn’t on the market! We all used baby oil and got as dark as we could, especially if you grew up in a warm climate where the beach was available year round (like I did)!

I suppose you can chalk that up to “if I only knew then what I know now”!

Early Prevention

If you are in your 20’s or even your teens you should absolutely be using a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 on a daily basis. This could be a separate product, a product combining daily moisturizer with an SPF or it could be your foundation makeup in a formula that includes SPF.  If you are having a day in the sun, beach, boat, whatever, you should use at least an SPF 30 (Same advice goes for women in their 30’s and up).

Now you may think, “I don’t have wrinkles, why should I worry about that now?” Well, because the sun is one of the fastest ways to age your skin. Plus there is the problem of skin cancer and trust me, you do NOT want that.

Delayed Consequences

You don’t SEE the result of your unprotected daily exposure or the days of fun in the sun until much later.  How’s that? It is because it starts in the deepest layer of your skin. The Basal layer of the Dermis (skin). Cells way down deep begin to change, they do not duplicate themselves in the same way when the DNA has suffered damage from over exposure to the sun (there are other damaging factors as well: smoke, alcohol, stress). Sun, and those other factors, create free radicals in the skin that attack our healthy skin cells and then, yikes, wrinkles!

Wrinkles! Because damaged cells, cells attacked by free radicals, can no longer continue to produce that same smooth youthful surface.  So, if you are young, start now with that sunscreen, use a good quality, gentle cleanser, toner and moisturizer. Be sure to remove all makeup at night and use a night cream that has restorative ingredients. And those would be anti-oxidants, such as vitamin C, E and A.

We women over 30 should follow the same routine!

Know Your Sunscreen

There are a lot of different ingredients used in sunscreens to block the sun. The first thing you need to know is to use a BROAD SPECTRUM sunscreen. One that blocks both UVA and UVB rays from the sun. UVB rays are the burning rays. UVA rays are the ones that can cause skin cancers by depleting the skin’s natural immune protection.

As far as ingredients go, the most effective are Octinoxate, Octisalate, Avobenzone and Oxybenzone. These are all synthetic ingredients. If you are concerned with using a natural mineral based sunscreen look for Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide.  There has also been some research including anti-oxidants (Vitamin C and E) in sunscreen. It appears that they boost the effectiveness of the screening ingredients and fight free radicals at the same time.

Stay Protected Year Round

When enjoying the beach, the pool and water sports be sure to use a sunscreen that is water resistant, and don’t forget to reapply after prolonged time in the water and toweling off.  Remember to use sunscreen every day no matter what season it is as well.  Great skin later is simple if you start young! And if you aren’t so young, and you are seeing the results of free radical damage, I tell you again, My Anti-Aging Secret can change that!

Have fun in the sun, I do, but PROTECT YOURSELF!

 

Photo by Emery Rose on Deviantart.com