Hello All! It is that time of the year again. Summertime is fast upon us, so it is my duty to make sure everyone knows the importance of sun protection. The sun makes your skin look dry, dull, uneven, wrinkled, and causes the collegen to break down, which causes skin to sag. Also, you don't even see the damage it causes until years later, which is why it is so important to use broad spectrum sun protection all the time, including wintertime and during daily activities. Besides causing premature aging, you can get skin cancer from the sun-so please protect yourself.
So what is the best protection for you? Well let me explain the difference between sunscreen and sunblock.
Sunscreen or chemical sunscreen uses chemical as the active sun protection ingredients. It usually contains oxybenzone or avobenzone (also known as Parsol 1789), which can cause irritation if you have sensitive skin. Chemical sunscreens absorb UV rays before they can cause any damage. Chemical sunscreens need to be applied about 30 minutes before sun exposure as that is how long it takes to "activate" on your skin.
Sunblock or physical sunblock uses minerals such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as the active sun protection ingredients. Physical sunblock is much more gentle on sensitive skin and they work by forming an opaque film that reflects or scatters UV light before it can penetrate the skin. Physical sunblock sometimes has a whitish cast when applied to the skin (think of the lifeguard's white nose-that's zinc oxide).
I had done a whole post on antioxidants, they have been proven to increase sun protection so make sure you get your daily dosage of antioxidants through your diet or apply it to your skin before you apply your sunscreen, such as with the green tea toner, or a Vitamin C serum (I am going to do a post on how to make your own).
Yes it is true, almost everyone looks better with a tan, but there are much healthier ways of getting that tan than sitting in the sun or a tanning bed such as using a self tanner, going to get a spray tan, or using
Little Goddess Mineral Bronzer in Congo! Also keep in mind that when your skin tans, it is actually protecting itself from the rays that are damaging it.
**TIP**When applying bronzer to your face, remember to hit your neck, chest, and even the tops of your hands so everything matches and looks uniform, and your face doesn't look like it's a different color from your body.
