The sun has finally come out after a long winter, and if you’re like most of us, you’re either headed off for a spring getaway or you’re putting the final touches on summer beach plans. Now is the perfect time to extend your plans to your skin as well. Don’t wait until July to decide how you’ll protect your skin from those rays. You can reduce photoaging by 24% when you wear sunscreen daily, according to a study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine.
It’s not just a good summer habit, it’s one you should be religious about all year round. This year, plan ahead and make April the month you start taking sun skin care seriously. Here are NDDA’s tried and true guidelines:
1) Examine your sun habits and go in prepared for moderation.
If you know you’ll be outside all day . . . at the beach, lake, kid’s soccer camp, etc. . . Do you slather on the highest, most waterproof SPF and assume you’re protected? Or do you avoid the sun entirely with long sleeve shirts, hats and expert-level hopscotching from deep shade spot to deep shade spot?
It turns out both strategies can be overkill and have drawbacks. Sun safety means finding a balance. Overexposure is a real risk if you don’t constantly reapply sunscreen and take breaks in shade. And higher SPF sunscreens don’t necessarily mean they are safer – because people are less likely to reapply them throughout the day. At the same time, avoiding sun exposure altogether can drastically cut your body’s ability to produce vitamin D, an essential compound for long-term health. Optimal vitamin D levels can actually help reduce the risk of melanoma and other cancers.
2) Choose the best kind of sunscreen for your skin and your lifestyle.
These days sunscreen comes in so many different formulations and with so many different benefits it’s hard not to find one that can fit in perfectly with your daily routine and skin needs. Start by deciding what kind of formulation to look for – physical or chemical.
Physical sunscreens that contain titanium or zinc oxide provide a physical block of the sun’s rays and are not absorbed by the skin. They work immediately after application and are best for people with photosensitive skin. Chemical sunscreens must be applied 15-20 minutes prior to going outdoors. Chemical sunscreens also have the potential for absorption. That’s something to take into account if you have traditionally had problems with reactive skin. People with sensitive skin who say that they are “allergic” to sunscreen often cannot tolerate chemical sunscreens, so a pure physical block might be better for them.
Meanwhile, pay attention to your routine. Is it all you can do to get out of the house in the morning? A sunscreen that does double duty with an antioxidant added can help you get through your skin routine faster. Love makeup and want to get that perfect finish before work? Choose a tinted or mattifying sunscreen to cut down on the number of products you have to use.
NDDA sells two sunscreens that double as makeup. The first, called Colorescience Sunforgettable is a powder sunblock that can be applied like mineral makeup. The second, called flawless creator, is a pigment specifically formulated to be added to sunscreen to give your skin HD coverage and help you integrate sun protection into your routine.
3) Consider a supplement.
While nothing can replace sunscreen, adding a supplement can boost your skin’s ability to cope with some of the oxidative stress caused by UVA and UVB rays. NDDA is now offering a supplement called Heliocare, a one-a-day dietary supplement packed with antioxidants that can help your skin protect itself.
The key ingredient in Heliocare’s product is an antioxidant derived from Polypodium leucotomos extract that comes from a fern native to Central and South America. The extract has been shown to be effective in helping skin conditions that cause photosensitivity, such as melasma, and helps protect skin from harmful effects of free radicals from the sun.
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