- Is Bigger Better? Do you think that wearing a sunscreen with a higher SPF will give you better protection? Probably not! The Environmental Working Group recently reported that, “Users of high SPF sunscreens stay in the sun longer with a single application and get burned when the product’s chemicals break down, wash off or rub off on clothes and towels. Armed with a false sense of security, they extend their time in the sun well past the point when users of low-SPF products head indoors. As a result, they get the same number of sunburns as unprotected sunbathers and absorb more damaging UVA radiation, which many high-SPF products do not effectively block.” Does this describe you?What’s the answer? No matter what SPF number you wear be sure it has UVA/UVB protection and reapply, reapply, reapply – every hour.
- Is the Sun Friend or Foe? If you grew up like I did, your mom cut the toes off of socks so my sister and I could wear them on our arms. Weird, I know. But there was no sunscreen back then and since we are both fair-skinned redheads we had our fair share of horrible blistering sunburns. This was my mom’s very creative (albeit not exactly a lovely fashion statement) way of letting us be outside a bit more without suffering. (We wore hats and sleeves whenever possible and I was the one on the beach in jeans and wrapped in a towel after 30 minutes baking in the sun…it’s no wonder I don’t find the sun relaxing to this day!)That said, the sun does serve a very useful purpose other than brightening our lives. It provides us with vitamin D. Yes, you can get it from supplements but nothing beats the sun for natural vitamin D synthesis. Just 10 minutes in the sun a few times a week (May through October) (I keep my arms free of sunscreen for that long), and you’re good to go.
- You Might Not Get Burned But Do You Get Old? Yes, UVB rays can cause severe sunburns or golden tans so you can see how successfully you protected yourself with your sunscreen. What you cannot so immediately see, however, is whether your skin has been subjected to too many UVA rays. The UVA rays are the ones that age you (think A for Aging). They go through car windows and are strong in January as well as July. And, the basic SPF rating only tells you how much it protects you from the UVB rays, not the UVA rays.
So, the next time you purchase a sunscreen, be sure it has UVA/UVB protection (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are two of the most effective ingredients). The last thing you want is untimely wrinkles, lines, sagging and sun spots!
What Are Your Lips Saying About You?
The next time you pass a mirror, stop and take a good look at your lips. How are they? Are they soft and smooth or dry, chapped and in need of a little (or a lot!) TLC?
We often take our lips for granted and since they are always exposed, they take a lot of unintentional abuse. If it isn’t the wind and cold then it’s the heat and sun. Then, we often make it all worse by licking them when they feel dry (and often we are not even aware we are doing that!).
Where I live we are heading into the summer months, and the UV index is rising daily. We are intensifying our sunscreen application, buying hats and finding shade whenever possible…or maybe that’s just me!
Whether you burn or tan (on purpose or by default), there is no relief for your lips. Skin cancer can and does occur on people’s lips so protection is essential. And, there are rumors out there that traditional lip gloss (because of its shininess) can actually strengthen the intensity of the UV rays. Ooops…that’s not good!
Relief is now available. I have been waiting for this for years! Colorescience just came out with a lip product that adds shine and has an SPF of 35 – the best of both worlds!
Oh, and there’s more. It comes with an easy to use wand applicator and is vegan and gluten-free.
Take this opportunity to baby your lips this season, and do it at a savings!
Colorescience Sunforgettable Lip Shine SPF 35 — Reg. $25. Now $21.25
