At the Savvy Skin Medical Aesthetics, we spend a lot of time helping our patients undo the damage of sun exposure. Yes, we have treatments and products that can help remove sun damage, but your best bet is to protect your skin from damage in the first place. When it comes to sunscreen, there are a lot of choices on the market, and a lot of myths too. In this post, we'll debunk a few of those myths, and help you know what to look for in a sunscreen.
"I don't need to wear sunscreen on cloudy days." Wrong. On cloudier days you may not feel like your skin is getting burned, but the sun's ultraviolet radiation still breaks through those clouds. Serious sunburns can happen on cloudy days, particularly because people are more likely to let down their guard. Winter, spring, summer, fall - you need to be wearing sunscreen every single day.
"If I wear sunscreen, I won't get enough Vitamin D."No studies have shown that sunscreen use causes a vitamin D deficiency. Also, the sun isn't your only source of vitamin D. A healthy diet or a multivitamin will help ensure you're getting the vitamin D your body needs without sacrificing the health of your skin.
"You get most of your sun exposure as a child, so it's too late to start worrying about sunscreen now."This simply isn't true. Every day that you go outside, you are getting a dose of UV rays. While it is important to protect a child's skin against sun damage, it's never too late to prevent further damage from occurring, even in adults.
The application of sunscreen should be part of your day every day routine - as common as brushing your teeth and combing your hair. When choosing a sunscreen, you need to make sure the product blocks both UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays cause sunburns and cancer. While you don't get sunburns from UVA rays, they can also cause cancer and wrinkles. So you need a product that blocks both types of damaging rays. If you have skin problems or allergies, then you need to look for a sunscreen that is hypo-allergenic so it won't irritate your skin. And if you plan to be in the water or doing an activity that will cause you to sweat, you need a sunscreen that is water and sweat resistant. We carry two great sunscreen products from SkinMedica: the Daily Physical Defense SPF 30+ and Environmental Defense Sunscreen SPF 50+. SkinMedica's Triple sun Protection formula offers a layer of physical protection to prevent UVA/UVB from entering the skin, a second layer of chemical defense to absorb any UVA/UVB that does enter the skin, and a third layer of potent antioxidants to protect the skin against free radical damage. Talk to one of our estheticians to find out which one is right for you. Get in touch and let us help you take care of your skin today and every day!
