T
here’s so much important information
out there about the need to protect
our skin from the sun, but nothing
gets right to the non-sugar-coated facts like the
opening words of the NHS’s guide on Sunscreen
and Sun Safety: Sunburn increases your risk of
skin cancer. Sunburn does not just happen on
holiday. You can burn anytime of year, even
when it's cloudy. There's no safe or healthy
way to get a tan.
Given those basic truths, finding sun protec-
tion for the entire body is awfully important.
Here’s a checklist to make sure everything is
covered — yes, your arms, legs, and face, but
also those more specific, vulnerable areas such
as your scalp, eye area, and lips.
All-Over Coverage. Start with a general purpose
sunscreen, like the Heliocare Spray SPF50, to
cover your body with water-resistant UV protec-
tion (bonus: this one won’t make you feel greasy).
Formulated with fern extract (a plant that can
protect itself from the sun) to inhibit DNA
damage from the sun, Heliocare’s sunscreen also
nourishes as it protects. Begin every day with
this protection, massaging it into clean dry skin,
and apply throughout the day as needed.
Face Protection. Your face loves a more spe-
cialised sunscreen designed to cover without
clogging, something substantial enough to
protect but light enough to wear under make-
up. The oil-free iS Clinical Eclipse SPF50+
combines antioxidants and physical filters into
a water-resistant lightweight cream that blends
into the skin and dries with a matte finish.
Eye Area. A great eye cream will not only
give the skin around your eyes the plump-
ing, smoothing, and firming it needs, it will
provide protection against the UV rays that
are so aggressively contributing to damage and
the signs of ageing. Medik8’s Advanced Day Eye
Protect does just that. Specialist ingredients
combat fluid retention and the breakdown of
collagen, while UVA/UVB filters provide SPF30
protection to this delicate area of the face.
A Lesson in Lips. Yes, we’re sneaking a little
focus on lip education into this checklist. It’s
easy to forget the lips when applying sunscreen
and yet the lips are particularly susceptible to sun
damage because they have less melanin. Worse
still, we sometimes exacerbate their vulnerability
by applying lip gloss with no UV protection,
and the shininess attracts even more sun.
So, now that you know why you need to give
some extra love to your lips, here’s what to use:
the water-resistant Liplux SPF30 Original from
COOLA is a lip balm that combines chemical
UV filters, antioxidants, and vitamins to protect
against sun damage. Alone or under lipstick, put
your lip protection on whenever the sun is out.
Make-up. Did you know you can also use
make-up that contains SPF? Not every day is a
beach day, but your skin needs protection even
when you’re out and about living your normal
day-to-day life. The PRIORI Mineral Skincare
SPF25 is a loose powder that blends mineral
UV filters with its plant-derived antioxidants.
So, not only can you even out redness, fine lines,
spots and tone, your flawless-looking skin will
benefit from added sun protection.
The importance of proper application
How you apply is nearly as important as what you
apply. Not giving yourself enough time to apply
an adequate amount of sunscreen means you risk
having some unexpected exposure during the day.
Forgetting to reapply it after a couple of hours or
after being in the water can also mean you risk
having little to no protection on the skin. To get
it right every time: read the product descriptions,
apply at least 30 minutes before heading outside
and don’t forget the forgettable spots (such as feet,
ears, and the back of the neck). Oh, and reapply,
reapply, reapply as necessary.
ISSUE #12 | 2019 | SkinHealthMagazine.com 15