With piña coladas by the poolside season coming up, it’s more important than ever to protect your skin from the sun. More sun exposure = more sun protection, but it takes a lot more than slapping on any ol’ sunscreen to prevent sun damage.
To make sure you’re giving your future self the best chance of fighting wrinkles, dark spots, and skin cancer while still enjoying the sunshine, let’s chat about the ways you can better protect yourself from the sun this summer. Gorgeous gorgeous girls are sun aware, after all.
1. Use a Broad-Spectrum Sunscreen
We couldn’t possibly call ourselves sun aware without befriending a broad-spectrum sunscreen, as they’ll prevent sun damage from the two main types of UV rays. When we’re exposed to the sun, we’re exposing ourselves to UVA and UVB rays.
Both types of UV rays can go on to cause skin cancers, but UVA rays are arguably more dangerous as they cause long-term cell damage that we can’t see. Whereas sun damage caused by UVB rays can appear as sunburn, turning us into a whole red stop sign when it’s time to step into the shade.
ZO Skin Health Broad Spectrum SPF 50 – Please Get in Touch
For sun protection for your face and body, this broad-spectrum sunscreen by ZO Skin Health is safe to apply to all areas, even if you have sensitive skin or following post-procedure aftercare (kudos!). With potent antioxidant protection and lipid replenishment, it’ll reduce free radical damage caused by sun exposure and strengthen the skin’s barrier.
Circadia Light Day Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 37 – Please Get in Touch
Light enough for everyday broad-spectrum sun protection, the antioxidant-infused formula will melt into your skin with a barely-there finish yet give ultimate defence against UV exposure.
2. Apply Your First Layer of Sunscreen Totally Naked
Yup, butt naked. Notice that we said the first layer, you don’t have to strip it down to your birthday suit for every application (unless you can without getting a lawsuit).
We recommend applying sunscreen in the nude to prevent sun damage, as this will ensure your whole body is completely covered. If you wait to apply sunscreen after you’ve got your bathing suit or clothes on, you’re more likely to miss spots as you work your way around straps or cut-outs and get burnt.
3. Not All Sunscreens Are Suitable for the Eye Area
I’ll never forget that time when I laughed a little too hard, you know the type of laughter when there are actual tears (the best kind), and sunscreen seeped into my eyes – it went from tears of joy to tears of pain real quick.
But it doesn’t really matter whether you have funny friends or not, as regular sunscreen can easily travel into your eyes through sweat, and take it from me when I say there’s nothing funny about sunscreen in your eyes. An eye-friendly sunscreen will ensure it stays put.
The eye area is also super sensitive, whether you have a sensitive skin type or not, so it’s a good idea to protect your skin around the eye area with a gentle formula that won’t cause irritation – hot girl summer doesn’t exactly involve pink eye.
Colorscience 3-In-1 Total Eye Renewal Therapy with SPF 35 - £49.50
Preventing sun damage, dark circles, fine lines and wrinkles, this 100% mineral sunscreen with SPF 35 is a summer essential for when you want to spend more time outside than on your skincare routine.
SkinCeuticals Mineral Eye Defense SPF 30 10ML - £28.00
Specially formulated for the eye area, SkinCeuticals Mineral Eye Defense SPF 30 will do almost everything except budge. Providing broad-spectrum coverage in a non-irritating formula with a subtle tint to cover dark circles, and nourishing ceramide technology for barrier strength, it’s a no-brainer just like ordering another cocktail.
4. Wait a Minimum of 15 Minutes Before Going Outside After Applying Sunscreen
Applying sun protection isn’t a slap-on-and-go kinda job as it takes roughly 15 minutes for sunscreen to fully absorb into the skin and become effective. If you leave the house and expose your skin to the sun before this time is up, you’re essentially leaving your skin unprotected for 15 minutes.
Now, this might not seem like a big deal, but for some people, this is enough time to burn, and it’s definitely enough time to cause sun damage that we can’t see in everyone. By just being a little more patient, you can better protect your skin from the sun.
5. Cover Scars with SPF 50
One of the most important ways to protect yourself from the sun is to apply SPF 50 sunscreen to your scars. Scar tissue, especially new scar tissue, has a weaker defence system during the healing process and can’t protect itself from UV rays as well as normal skin tissue. This can dramatically increase the chances of skin cancer developing. *Gulps*.
Exposing premature scars to the sun will also jeopardise their healing and they can become bigger, more textured, and generally darker in colour. So, to protect your skin from sun damage and give your scars a chance to heal, smother on the SPF 50.
SkinCeuticals Advanced Brightening UV Defense SPF50 40ML - £45.00
This SPF 50 hybrid sunscreen is ideal for scars as it’ll help brighten uneven skin tone with a potent combo of discolouration ingredients including 1% tranexamic acid and 2% niacinamide.
Heliocare 360 Invisible Spray 200ML - £28.99
For scars that are harder to reach, try this spray-on SPF 50 sunscreen by Heliocare. With a completely invisible finish, there’s no need to rub it in after application, making it the perfect addition to a solo traveller’s necessities.
6.Check Your Sunscreen Hasn’t Expired
Seems obvious, right? Why would you ever apply out-of-date sunscreen? But at the same time, when was the last time you actually checked it was still in date? Typically, sunscreens last between 12-18 months after opening before they expire. After this, their level of sun protection begins to rapidly decline to the point where you might as well not be wearing sunscreen at all.
To be more sun aware, you should become more mindful when purchasing a sunscreen. If you can’t remember when you bought it or the date has been rubbed as it’s that old, it’s safe to say you need to invest in a new sunscreen to protect your skin from sun damage.
