By Lesli Williams
May 15, 2008
Do you reminisce about the days when you eagerly lathered yourself up with baby oil, wore as little as possible to the beach or pool unleashing those straps around your neck so you wouldn't get "tan lines", wrapped aluminum foil on a piece of card board to help better reflect the sun's ray to your face for that sun-kissed healthy glow? Or used SPF 4 suntan oil with the scent of coconut for that Hawaiian all day sunbathing experience? How about the one where you didn't care if you burned because any color means good color? Well, if you're like most folks — the answer is yes.
However, in today's world — we get a reality check every time we visit the dermatologist to burn off that pre-cancerous lesion on our forehead, feel that "new" odd-shaped bump on our back imagining if it could be cancerous, or just wondering why the heck these wrinkles keep popping up overnight? The fact is the sun is not our friend. The number one anti-aging secret in preventing wrinkles and fine lines listed in every beauty magazine, shared in a physician-to-patient consultation or gossiped about as the latest Hollywood trend is to wear sunscreen — everyday.
It takes approximately 20 years for the damage we did when we were younger to show up in the form of wrinkles, fine lines, brown spots or blotchy pigment, not to mention cancer. Just about the time we start to think about aging gracefully, wanting a more youthful appearance and strategizing on how to get rid of those darn crow's feet, the damage has already been done!
But do not despair — there are a few things you can start to incorporate in your sunless, anti-aging regiment. First, there is no such thing as a safe tan, whether it is from the sun or a tanning booth. Even if you tan slowly without burning, the damage is hazardous to the health of your skin. Damage from the sun's rays takes place in the very first minute (yes, 60 seconds) of walking outside. Even on a cloudy or hazy day — just like most of our days in the Seattle area — the sun's rays are present and impact the skin.
Altitude is also a sun enhancer. For every 1,000-foot increase in altitude, the sun's potency is increased by 4%. So for all you ski enthusiasts as well as everyone else…wear your sunscreen all year round.
So now you are convinced that you should be wearing sunscreen... everyday — ask yourself, "What are my options for a good sunscreen that'll provide me the best protection, not feel greasy, last a long time and help my skin look younger?" You are in luck! State-of-the-art ingredients and technology have given us cosmetically elegant, UVA/UVB protection, water-resistant, SPF (Sun Protection Factor) in all sorts of flexible options. Sunscreen now comes as a lotion, gel, spray or powder. You do not have to settle for that old, standby greasy cream that never seems to come off your hands but always has a tendency to drip into your eyes. Sunscreen has progressed over the years — the right one should feel like you are wearing nothing at all.
Some main ingredients to look for in your new sunscreen (which needs to be replaced every year as the active ingredients dissipate as time goes on) contain true full-spectrum (both UVA and UVB) coverage. It is dangerous for your skin to not have UVA protection and many sunscreens do not. There are no numbers to tell you about protection from UVA radiation. Check the active ingredient list to see if either zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, avobenzone (which may also be listed as Parsol 1789 or butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane) or Mexoryl SX are present.
If one of those is not part of the active ingredient list (it does not count if it is just part of the regular or "other" ingredients) you are not applying adequate UVA protection. You should also look for a product with SPF 20-30 which provides UVB protection from about 95%-97%. Anything lower than SPF 20 is not providing adequate coverage. On the flip side, an SPF that is higher than 30 does not provide any more UV protection, it just offers more time that you can stay in the sun without burning. Unpublished FDA regulations state that no sunscreens will be allowed to have ratings over SPF 30+ in the near future.
Here are some additional tips about the latest usage of sunscreen. First apply it liberally, about 15-20 minutes before sun exposure allowing it to absorb and spread over and into the skin. Do not buy sunscreen that says it is "waterproof" (the FDA mandated this terminology to be eliminated from product descriptions) — look for "water resistant" labeling if you need it. There are physical-blockers in sunscreen and chemical-blockers — try several out and find ones that don't irritate your skin. And last, if you really need a tan — go with self-tanning products. This is your safest, best choice for that "sunless" tan. And not to mention, will not cause wrinkles and fine lines down the road!
For more information on how to age gracefully or talk with a specialist about sunscreen products that are right for you, call Bliss Spa on The Ridge for your complimentary skin analysis and consultation. Call 425-396-1500 or visit www.blissontheridge.com.
