Skin Deep Beauty by Christine Lindsay

Originally published 2/3/2020

A lot of people ask me for skincare advice, and I love it! The first thing that I recommend to everyone regardless of age, and skin type is to wear SPF, everyday, regardless of the weather. It’s easy to assume if the sky is grey and cloudy than there’s no need for sunscreen, right? Wrong! Don’t worry! I used to believe this common misconception too. 

You see, it’s not the actual sun itself that causes sunburn. The ultraviolet (UV) radiation emitted from the sun is the culprit. Not only are we at risk for painful sunburn, but we are also at risk for premature sun damage which is the culprit of our WRINKLES! Wrinkles aside, the rays also put you at risk for skin cancer. 

I spent all my childhood years thinking SPF is for the beach in the summertime, when I should have been protecting my skin and preventing sun damage! I’m almost ashamed to admit I used a tanning bed consistently during my teenage years, but I didn’t have all the information in the world in my hand back then. Now I do.

You can’t even hide in the shade to avoid the sun’s rays. It will bounce off the sand, and the water. You’ll even catch those rays while driving in your car. Check out the sun damage obtained on the left side of this truck driver’s face after 28 years of driving.

ABCs of Ultraviolet Radiation 

You probably thought you learned all your ABC’s in kindergarten, but what about the ABC’s of UV radiation? The sun emits three types of UV radiation: UVA, UVB, and UVC. All UV radiation has the potential to damage the skin, and all of them put you at risk for skin cancer, but each type affects your skin differently.

UVA radiation causes premature aging, sun spots, and wrinkles.

UVB radiation affect’s the skin’s top layer, and is responsible for sunburn. 

UVC radiation is the most dangerous, and poses the greatest risk for skin damage. 

Prevention

My best advice to protect your skin from UV radiation is by wearing SPF daily. SPF will protect you by acting as a filter against UVB rays. No sunscreen protects you completely so take precautions like wearing protective clothing, wearing sunglasses and hanging out in the shade. When choosing your SPF keep in mind the SPF number is the level of protection provided against the UVB rays. The higher the SPF the higher your protection. I personally use and recommend Dermalogica Solar Booster SPF 50. I also use and love Dermalogica Dynamic Skin Recovery SPF 50.   In addition to SPF, I recommend using Dermalogica Sheer Tint SPF 20 Tinted Moisturizer. Please don’t forget to reapply throughout the day, and always drink lots of water! 

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