We can all do more to protect ourselves from sun damage – here’s how…
Many of us now use sunscreen on our summer holidays and when the sun shines at home but let’s be honest we probably apply it once, twice or three times day when the sun is hot, and we think ‘Yay I’m protected!’. The truth is that to really protect our skin from permanent sun damage or worse (skin cancer) there is much more that we could all be doing. Here are a few top tips that we have learnt;
- Use your sun screen daily. Make it part of your morning skincare regime, even when its cloudy.
- Always apply before you go outside. Don’t wait until you are sat in the blazing heat, try to apply at least 15 minutes before you go out to allow the cream to fully absorb into your skin.
- 3.Don’t ignore your face and neck. Many of us (especially women) don’t apply sunscreen to our faces and necks in fear that it will ruin our make up or make us look far too sweaty. The irony is that if you want to look good you must apply sunscreen to these areas. Sunlight ages us and damages our skin more than anything else.
- 4.Limit your time in the sun. Be sensible and alternate between the sun and shade. Be careful between 10am – 4pm as this is when the sun rays are at their hottest.
- 5.Choose a sunscreen with a SPF 30 or above and a UVA star rating of 4 or 5.Many of us just look at the SPF number on our sunscreen but we need to practice looking at this and the UVA star rating, usually found on the back of the bottle. Whereas the SPF factor refers to the level of protection form sun burn it is the UVA rating that will help defend the skin against ageing and potentially skin cancer.
- Don’t forget your lips. Wear a lip balm or lipstick with a SPF of 30 or more.
Take these tips and go and enjoy your fun in the sun!