Here comes the sun..
Summer is coming! What does that mean? SUNSCREEN all day every day!
*This is your reminder to check the expiration dates of the sunscreens you have from last year or last vacation and toss any expired ones and go out and stock up for this year.
I CANNOT stand anyone who does not wear sunscreen because they “want to get tan”. This irritates me to no end because you can and will still tan while wearing sunscreen - it may take longer and more effort on your part but you can still tan. Sunscreens block the harmful, damaging UVA, UVB, HEV rays and also prevent your body from burning. Sunscreens do need to be reapplied to be effective, usually after swimming and about every few hours as per instructions. And in turn, I annoy my friends and family to no end to apply (and re-apply) their sunscreen when I am around.
Let’s not even talk about tanning beds! If you desire to be tan all year round then I strongly recommend a self-tanner or find yourself a fantastic local spray tan artist. I have seen women 20 years and younger with malignant melanoma (with no family history of melanoma) because of indoor tanning beds, doesn’t sound like a big deal? Malignant melanomas have to be cut out aka excised, which results in a scar, this scar can range anywhere from 1-3+ inches anywhere on the body - the face, abdomen, arm, chest, back, leg.
Sun damage accelerates aging. This means that your skin will wrinkle at a younger age and it will wrinkle more, your skin loses elasticity which means your skin will become thin and sag and hang, your skin will not produce melanin evenly which means you will have many brown spots. I do agree that “I look better with a tan” but you can fake it, the long-term effects on your skin do not beat out feeling like you look good for 3 mos.
What does the number in SPF (sun protection factor) mean?
The number (15, 30, 50, 75, 100 are most commonly seen) is how long it takes for your skin to become red (or burn) than it would without using any sunscreen. So that means a SPF 50 will take 50 times longer for you to burn than if you were not using any sunscreen.
the amount of minutes that it takes for your skin to become red after that time of sun exposure without sunscreen.
What kinds of sunscreens are there?
Sunscreens are either chemical which absorb the UV rays before they can damage your skin or mineral that block the UV rays before they are able to penetrate your skin. In my opinion, you should look for a combination sunscreen consisting of chemical and mineral components.
What do you think?
I am kind of picky about sunscreens. I need a sunscreen that doesn’t feel thick on my skin, this is for comfort and a necessity for my face so I do not break out or acquire milia (milia are little inclusion cysts, they cannot be popped like a pimple but have to be removed and sometimes excised). I cannot use mineral sunscreens on my face because it burns my eyes when I go in the water, I can sometimes use a combination one on my face. And I definitely opt for ones that deposit some color on you especially at the beginning of the summer when I have not accumulated any tan yet.
Sunscreens I love:
ALWAYS in SPF 30 or 50, sometimes 75+ when available
Hawaiian Tropic Sheer Touch - this has some shimmer to it and the slightest bit of color to fake your tan while you are working on it. I use this on the body and sometimes the face.
Sun Bum Original Lotion - this smells like summertime. I like the coverage, a little bit goes a long way but it does leave your hands feeling quite oily. I immediately wash my hands after applying, a towel wipe will not do.
Sun Bum Sunscreen Lip Balm - gotta protect the lips!
Supergoop Unseen Sunscreen - I got a sample of this last year and tried it for a few days and I loved the way it felt! It made my skin feel like velvet, gave a matte effect and I looked forward to putting it on. I am going to be using this this year for sure!
Rich Girl SPF hand cream - I use this daily, year-round for my hand cream. It has SPF in it because believe it or not I already notice some light brown spots appearing on the back of my hands and I need to put a stop to that. This formula is not greasy and doesn’t have a potent sunscreen smell to it. I also highly recommend applying this before going to the nail salon for your gel nails, your hands will be close up in the UV light to cure the gel.
ZO Sunscreen Powder Broad Spectrum - this feels like nothing on the face, it provides light coverage and it comes in three colors, I will say you will not have a perfect color match but if you can find a color close enough that you like (and doesn’t make you too pale or too dark) this is the easiest thing to use every day and may even replace your foundation and/or bronzer.
Another recommendation is for UPF clothing - these items will protect your body from UV rays. It is extremely hard to find clothing that is UPF and would require a specific search but I do own some light long-sleeved shirts from Shady Rays that provide sun protection. Some bathing suits also offer this protection as well.
Sunscreen considerations and tips:
Lotions are usually more “watery”, have a thinner consistency. Easy to apply, hard to apply on back.
Creams have a thicker consistency, easy to apply, hard to apply on the back; may cause breakouts.
Sprays are easy to apply but remember to rub them in! A spray will not provide full coverage unless rubbed in, and if spraying at a windy time or location like the beach then more than half of your application is wasted as it is gone with the wind. Some sprays can leave a greasy residue.
Balms are thickest consistency and usually swiped on, extremely easy application but may feel tedious.
Powders are extremely easy to apply, ideal for small area such as the face and provides a barrier plus coverage.
Ask someone to apply to your back. Overlapping areas is the best way to avoid missing spots. You cannot use too much sunscreen!
Sunscreen and electrolysis
Wear your sunscreen after treatments! This is extremely important and recommended because your skin is in a healing phase and you do not want damaging rays to get into your cells and alter them aka you do not want darker spots or hyperpigmentation that is permanent. We are removing hairs that you do not like to see and I can bet that you will not be thrilled with having beauty marks or freckles in its place that you can not get rid of.
So this leads me into how important it is for you to wear sunscreen for especially the first year after an injury/receiving a scar. After an injury, your skin begins to heal. There are new cells showing up there to heal and grow new skin to cover it. Those new cells are providing new skin, like a baby, and we ALWAYS protect our babies from the sun, right, RIGHT? So why wouldn’t you want to protect your own new, baby skin? Those cells are still “new” and developing for a year and change from the injury so be sure to protect them from the sun with sunscreen. What can happen if you don’t? Your scars will become darker than your normal skin color; you want your scar to be as close to your normal skin color as possible so it is camouflaged as best as it can be.
I did not go into detail educating you on sun damage and skin cancers, but I am providing with a great link to educate yourself more. I wanted to only share my favorite products and promote sun protection. More information on sunscreen from the horses mouth:
https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/
See also our previous blog post: Here comes the sun
*It is important to use sunscreen all year round. In the winter time snow can reflect the suns rays back up to your face and even cause sunburns. Winter may be cloudy and you see less of the sun but the suns rays still peek through the clouds. Since it is cold in NJ in the winter we are usually outside less so we do not need to apply but it is a great practice to use at least a facial sunscreen and for your hands.
I do not have any affiliation with any of the sunscreen companies recommended above. These recommendations are based on trial and error and personal preference. There are so many sunscreen products from each company and as long as you find one that you like and will use that is the best one. Look for an SPF 30 minimum (bare minimum).