Summer is officially here!!!! Which means beach vacations, BBQ’s and Sundays by the pool! You hear fun, fun, fun, but as your esthetician all I hear is sun damage, premature aging, and pigmentation!
As a lover of the beach myself, I would never tell you to flat out avoid the sun, however, I will urge you to take extreme precautions when it comes to your time spent in the sun. One study stated that sun exposure could account for as much as 80% of visible signs of aging.
- Freckling
- Dark spots
- DNA damage
- Melanoma and other cancers
- Skin wrinkling
- Dryness
- Loss of elasticity and suppleness
…Are all consequences of unprotected time spent in the sun. So how does one protect themselves in the sun and are there ways to prevent some of the damage we withstand? I’m so glad you asked 😉
Ways to protect yourself in the sun
The absolute best way to protect yourself is to avoid being in direct sunlight during the times of day when the UV index is at its strongest. This is usually between 10:00-3:00 pm but can vary depending on your location and the time of year. Of course, if you live in a place like Scottsdale, Arizona and it’s June, the sun is pretty harsh regardless of the time of day. Here are some other more reasonable safety precautions we can take:
Using a quality SPF: We personally recommend and sell TIZO since it is reef-friendly and free of chemical fillers found in most sunscreen products. Regardless of what sunscreen you decide to go with, be sure to reapply it every two hours, or more if you’re in the water!
Wear protective sun gear: Accessories like wide brimmed hats, sunglasses and bathing suit covers can be your skin’s best friends!
Stay hydrated: Drink plenty of water and eat foods that are full of it, such as cucumbers and melon, to help keep the skin nourished. Think of your skin like a sponge left out in the sun! You need to keep getting the sponge wet or it will lose its moisture, just like us 🙂
But can more be done to omit the damage done by the sun?
While you cannot completely cancel out the damage done by the sun, there are certain things that we can do to lessen the severity.
Astaxanthin: This antioxidant has been shown to reduce loss of moisture from sun exposure while helping to reduce oxidative stress. Astaxanthin can be found in skincare products like Sleekskin® Brilliance Antioxidant Serum.
Nicotinamide: A powerful nutrient derived from vitamin B3 that helps reduce UV induced immunosuppression as well as assisting with DNA repair. You can get this by eating a diet rich in:
- Poultry
- Fish
- Eggs
CoQ10: Another antioxidant that helps protect the skin from sun damage at a molecular level. Using CoQ10 topically has been shown to reduce the effects of oxidative stress, which is one reason we love it as one of the many effective ingredients in our Sleekskin® Cranberry Quench Cream! It makes it the perfect moisturizer to hydrate and treat the skin before and after your time in the sun!
There are so many ways to make your time having fun in the sun safe for your skin… Admittedly it does take a little planning and thoughtfulness, but it is more than worth it! Keep a sunbag packed with all of your sun-safety necessities so you never forget anything and head to www.sleekskinaz.com to shop for products that will keep your skin safe and protected from the aging sun-rays!