STAY SAFER IN THE SUN by Alison Blackman Dunham

A large percentage of the UVA/UVB rays we absorb from the sun that can harm our skin doesn't come from baking in it, but simply walking around outside. What you can't see can still hurt you, and the rays are there, even if it's a cloudy day. Please feel free to Link To This Post or send it to a friend. The following tips will help you protect you from the sun, premature aging, and help prevent skin cancer:

Get the right product:






There is a difference between sunblock and sunscreen. A sunBLOCK creates an actual barrier that blocks UV radiation. A sunSCREEN absorbs & deflects the sun's rays. Despite the look of a golden tan, self-tanners and bronzers do not provide any protection against the sun's rays, unless an SPF is specifically mentioned on the bottle. You must apply a sunblock or sunscreen whether you look tan, or not. There are sweat and water-resistant types of products as well, but these still must be re-applied at regularly intervals. Choose what is right for you, depending upon the environment and activity you're going to be doing. *Not all sunsafe products are appropriate for every skin type or condition. Read the labels carefully, learn about the ingredients, and consult with your doctor if you are unsure whether a product is right for you. Most importantly, experiment and find the products that you find pleasing so you will use them regularly. A sunblock sitting in the tube in your tote or on your dresser does absolutely no good.


Read the label and Use as Directed:






Check the expiration dates, as sun protection products can lose their efficiency, with age. It is best to toss anything more than six months old, and if a product has changed in consistency or smell, toss it immediately. A higher SPF will protect your skin longer, but you will need to apply enough of it, and in all the right places, and re-apply it as often as directed.






An actual, protective dose of product is about one full ounce. That may seem like a lot, but if you don't cover your skin completely, the places you miss are prone to burning and damage (not to mention you'll get an uneven look). Some sun-protection ingredients may take as long as a half and hour to bind with your skin and properly protect you.







Keep in mind that the sun hits everywhere you are exposed, so don't just apply product on legs, lips, arms, neck, back, chest & front of body but also where your bathing suit or pants line is (if you're reaching or bending over), and on your ears, inside of knees and arms, front and back of feet, and your hairline (and the exposed areas of your head, if you are bald or balding). Spray and mist sunblocks are great, because you can apply them even to hard to reach areas without extra help!


Cosmetics & Skincare with SPF--Extra Protection, Every Day:

There are so many to choose from hair savers (shampoos & conditioners specially formulated to counteract the effects of ultraviolet rays), to lip products that protect and beautify. Most women wear foundations and apply moisturizers and cosmetics, so why not pick those with SPF? There are also a vast array of moisturizers and body lotions that men will enjoy using, as well. The Advice Sisters What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion Review Column for May/June is a huge, 2-page column that features lots of products with SPF. And, the What Works column for July/August (up the first week in July) will be focusing almost exclusively on sun screen, sun blocks, cosmetics with SPF, and multi-tasking sun prevention products!



SunSafe Tips For Men:








Even if you're not really into skincare, wearing sun protection is essential to avoid skin cancer and premature aging. Daily shaving opens up your new skin to sun damage unless you wear a sunscreen or sunblock. Buy a fresh product (not the one that's been sitting in your drawer since your last beach vacation 2 years ago) and apply it properly (enough product to protect yourself). Balding men leave the top of their heads constantly exposed to the sun, which also causes flaking, irritation, and redness so definitely wear a hat, or use an SPF product on your head. A good choice is a spray or mist-type sunblock that will give your entire head a thorough (but light) coating. Hair or no hair, always wear a hat if you're going to be outdoors for any length of time. Hats and sunglasses will protect your head, face and hair, but there are fabrics that actually have SPF protection woven in and these are available in shirts and pants for both men and women. These can help protect the rest of your body, especially if you're not using sunblock. Consider investing in a long-sleeved shirt and pants with SPF for those times when you're going to be outside for a long time!


Other SunSafe Tips:





Sunscreen will protect your skin, but it won't save you from sunstroke. Don't dehydrate! Drink lots of water, especially when you're out in the sun. Wear good sunglasses with protective filters to help avoid damages to your eyes, headaches, and squinting, which contributes to wrinkles and crows feet. Sunglasses add glamour to your look, too! Check your skin regularly for unusual moles or skin changes, and see a dermatologist immediately if you find any. A cancerous mole the size of a dime is dangerous enough to be lethal. A quick check could save your life.

AdviceSisters Beauty Product of the Week - St. Ives offers new Sun Protection for the Vigilant, the Lazy, and even the Reluctant!

It's not quite Summer yet, but the days are getting longer, and the sun, a bit brighter, and anyone who reads my What Works Beauty, Cosmetics & Fashion Review Columns (online for a decade this year) knows that I believe protecting your skin against the sun's damaging rays every single days is an absolute must. Doing so at an early age can help prevent the signs of premature aging. A skin cancer the size of a dime can kill you, so protecting your skin with sunblocks can also potentially save your life as well. But what you can't see is something many people feel they can ignore. Such is the problem with the sun's UVA/UVB rays. Unless you get a sunburn (and by then the damage is done) you don't really know they're out there, sabotaging your skin. Furthermore, most people simply don't want to put out the extra effort to add a sunblock to their skincare routine, or they don't like the smell, the texture or myriad other things.

A product just arrived for review in my next What Works Beauty, Cosmetics and Fashion Review Column that addresses this problem, and I simply can't wait for May/June to review it *the March/April "What Works" review column is live at the end of this week at http://www.advicesisters.net/whatworkscol3.html . So I'm making it the PRODUCT OF THE WEEK in this blog, so you can learn about it and get it now.

What is this special product? It's not only interesting, it's really inexpensive. The product is the Elements Protective Cleanser $6.99 4 fl. oz by St. Ives. A cheerful yellow bottle with frosted pump top holds a cleanser that multi-tasks to also provide SPF protection (SPF 10) as you wash. Key ingredients are avobenzone (oil-soluable ingredient used in sunscreens to absorb the full spectrum of UVA rays); octinoxate (compound that absorbs UVB rays); octocrylene (aborbs ultraviolet ligh); and Vitamin E (anti-oxidant). The slightly fruity scented cleanser is more like a very creamy lotion that you are supposed to massage it into your face for 1-2 minutes (it isn't clear if you get more effective SPF protection if you work in into your skin longer but it would make sense) and then wash it off. The sunscreens in this product are encapsulated into a positively-charged silica shell so it sticks to your skin, which is negatively charged, and it won't rinse off. The product did clean leftover makeup and dirt off our skin, of course. But they key is what it leaves ON your skin. When I tried this one, after drying my face there was a feeling of a light coating on my skin. This, I assume, is the sun protection...and I didn't have to do a single extra thing to get it!'

The downside, if there is one, is that SPF 10 is at best, marginal sun protection which isn't meant to protect you against a full day of sun exposure (like the skin you get while spending a day at the beach). However, since incremental (every day) type sun exposure (the type you get just walking around doing errands or stepping out for lunch) accounts for 80% of sun damage over a lifetime, it's a good thing to protect yourself every which way you can.

The press literature claims that the microencapsulated sun screen in St. Ives Protective Cleanser blocks 90% of UVA/UVB rays, but even so, it is important to note you still need a decent sunblock with SPF 15 or higher, if you are planning to anything more than walk from your house to your car in the driveway. Layering products with SPF can help as well, so this one will be even more effective if you cleanse with this product and then layer other products with higher SPF in them such as moisturizers or foundation (or better still, a dedicated sunblock).

The real benefit to this product (as I see it) is that it forces you to add at least some protection to your skincare routine with no excuses, no effort, and virtually no expense. If you are the type of person who absolutely refuses to use sunscreen on a daily basis (or you have children or spouses who don't use it regularly) this product could be the breakthrough you are seeking...and at an amazingly low price!

The product will be available beginning March 2008 at drug, mass retailer, and grocery store outlets. Visit http://www.stives.com/ for more info!