How to enjoy the sun safely
Sun Safety Tips
Sunscreen alone will not provide full protection from the sun so its best to also protect yourself even further by wearing a hat and sunglasses. The sun is at its hottest between 10am and 2pm so you should avoid over exposure at these times. Remember you can still burn on a cloudy, windy day.
Sunlamps, tanning beds and tanning booths are no longer considered safe. If you are fair skinned , blond, red or light brown haired with light coloured eyes, you are at the greatest risk of damage from the sun. Chemical sunscreens should be used sparingly on children and babies.
Why should you wear sunscreen everyday
A small amount of exposure to the sun is vital to your overall health and wellbeing. Most of the body’s vitamin D supply is generated by the skin’s exposure to UVB rays. Vitamin D helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in the body and is needed to keep bones, teeth and muscles healthy and can help ward off depression and even help regulate your blood pressure. The good news is, whatever the season or the weather, UVB rays are abundant so your skin will still absorb some vitamin D
However, too much unprotected exposure to the sun can increase the risk of skin cancer and cause premature skin ageing. The bad news is, it doesn’t matter what season it is or what the weather is like, those harmful ultraviolet rays are abundant.
Even when it's cloudy, up to 80% of the sun's rays are still being absorbed by your skin as UV radiation can penetrate through the clouds. And snow can nearly double the amount of UV radiation being absorbed by your skin. This means, every single day of the year, no matter what the weather is like, if you are outside for even 10 minutes you should be applying SPF.
Even when you’re inside, especially if you're sitting near windows, or in front of a computer screen, you're exposing yourself to potentially skin-damaging light. UVA, which can accelerate the signs of ageing, can penetrate windows and the blue light emitted from digital screens, including your computer, phone, tablet and TV, can increase the production of melanin or pigmentation in the skin, which could lead to age spots. Blue light can also create free radicals, which can lead to the breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin and accelerate the ageing process.
The best SPF for dark skin
There used to be a common misconception that darker skin tones don't need to wear daily sun protection. Not any more. It is now known that whatever your skin tone, you should be wearing sunscreen every day — even when it's cloudy or you're staying indoors.
Even though darker skin types have some natural protection against UV the highest possible level of natural protection in darker skins is SPF 13. In addition to increasing the risk for skin cancer, not using sunscreen can also increase hyperpigmentation. However a lot of sunscreens on the market are not formulated for darker skin tones and can leave a white chalky residue on the skin or can make skin look greasy. Thankfully there are now more sunscreens on the market that absorb well on darker complexions without any white residue in sight.
How much sunscreen to use
Scientists recommend half a teaspoon of sunscreen each for face, neck and each arm and one teaspoon each for the chest, back and each leg. It is also best to apply your sunscreen 15-20 minutes before exposure to the sun and every 2 hours or after swimming. Always throw sunscreens away that are over 2 years old or past their expiration date as the sun filter ingredients will not work as effectively.
Here’s our recommended skincare routine to keep your skin healthy if you’re out and about in the sun:
Morning:
1. Cleanse the skin with Kale 3D Cleanse as the kale and griffonia will help protect the skin from environmental pollution and damage
2. Spritz the skin with Antioxidant Peptide Mist to top it up with protecting antioxidants – this can also be spritzed on the skin and hair throughout the day to rehydrate and cool the skin
3. We recommend applying a serum to prep and hydrate the skin and allow for better absorption of the Skin Protecting Daily Moisturiser SPF.
3. Apply Skin Protecting Daily Moisturiser SPF25. The consistency of the product needs to be thicker than normal moisturisers without SPF to ensure that once applied to the skin the level of SPF is at the level stated on pack (in this case 25). The product can thicken over time, particularly with fluctuations of temperature. We recommend you massage the product between your fingers for a few seconds to warm it up as this will help loosen the product so that it will then apply more easily.
Evening:
1. Cleanse with Antioxidant Multi-tasking Super Balm – this will replenish the skin’s antioxidant levels
2. Spritz with Antioxidant Peptide Mist to calm and hydrate, the liquorice will also help lighten any sun spots
3. Moisturise with Argan Skin Renew Moisturiser – this will replenish the skin with vital nutrients and skin protecting antioxidants and also firm and hydrate the skin
4. Apply Argan Skin Rescue which will repair any sun damage and also soothe any redness, inflammation or sun spots
4. Apply Probiotic Multi-mineral Repair Mask and leave on overnight. This will replenish the skin’s moisture levels, and contains calming lavender and magnesium to reduce any redness associated with over exposure to the sun.
Happy, safe sun!