Purely Personal Skin Care

How about the long term damage sun exposure can cause with its concomitant skin cancer and wrinkle-producing concerns?  Most sun screens do an excellent job of absorbing UVB rays, but may not do as well with UVA rays.  Many of the newer sunscreens will screen both.  The best will usually contain zinc oxide.  Zinc oxide is the white “stuff” you often get with sun protection.  The better, dermatology formulated sun screens provide the zinc oxide in very small particles and you will never have the “white” look as you apply and later perspire.  Titanium dioxide is another fabulous ingredient to look for in your sun protector.

An ideal sun screen for daily use also includes a moisturizer.  All you need to do in the morning is apply your sun screen to your face and you’re protected against UVA and UVB rays and able to fight the wrinkle-producing component of sun exposure.  You can also find a sun screen with a slight tint and avoid using make up while you’re out in the sun.

If a sunscreen has a label offering 15 SPF you can expect your skin will have absorbed only an hours worth of ultraviolet sunlight, having been used over a 15 hour period.

Sun protection is particularly important for children, as 85% of sun exposure damage occurs before the age of 18.

You lather with sunscreen, don a hat and shirt that’s SPF protected.  What is the area most of us forget to protect?  The lips.  However, faithfully applying and reapplying sun block to the lips keeps them kissably cancer-free.  Amazingly, the lips are a common spot for squamous cell carcinoma, the second most common type of skin cancer.  And, guess what?  The lower lip is the more likely target as that’s where we get more sun exposure.

Please be picky about what you lather with.  Dermatologist formulated sunscreen or SPF-fortified lip balm is your best bet.  Apply and reapply several times a day, especially after eating, swimming or kissing.  Some dermatologists believe that shiny lip gloss focuses more UV rays on your lips – skip the shiny gloss for outdoor activities.

Your daily skin care regimen should always include complexion protection.  Sunscreen can also include facial moisturizers, peptides and antioxidants to boost skin firmness and soften texture.  Facial sunscreen can be much more than most over-the-counter products offer.  Micronized Zinc Oxide must be included in an effective sun screen/sun block and as an active ingredient, look also for titanium dioxide.  Zinc Oxide got a bad name in the past as it left an opaque white cream where applied.  Now that it’s micronized, it is equally effective but spreads and absorbs to make it easy to use under make up or just on its own.

Protect your skin from daily sun and wind damage that results in age spots, dry skin and wrinkles.  It can include a facial moisturizer as well as micronized zinc for a powerful product resulting in smooth skin that is protected from UVA/UVB sunrays.  Some sun screens are slightly tinted so you don’t need make up at all.  Rejuvenating peptides and high grade silica combine to help your skin look brighter and smoother.  Choose carefully when choosing a facial sunscreen.  Apply it under makeup in the morning and then reapply when exposed to the suns rays.