All Year Beauty: Sunscreen All Day Every Day

Summer may be gone but the sun still shines. And with it shines UVA and UVB rays. Yes ladies, it’s true. We don’t get to ditch that part of the routine just because the weather is cooler.  Temperature actually has no effect on the strength of UV rays.  So just because you don’t feel the heat from the sun’s rays that doesn’t mean they aren’t still affecting your skin.  Because they are. And we’ve heard all the excuses for not wearing sunscreen. And we are here to set you straight so you don’t ditch this all important step in your skin care routine.  It would be a shame to spend the time and money on creams and treatments only to overlook the single most effective thing we can do to prevent aging, don’t you think? We’d thought you’d agree. 

Excuse #1: Its in my foundation, BB Cream or Moisturizer

Yes, we know. And while we applaud the addition of sunscreen to our products, its usually not enough.  At the minimum, you should be wearing an SPF 30 which blocks 97% of UVB rays. And even for the products who have stepped up their game and added SPF 30 (or higher) to their products, we usually don't apply these products to all of our necks, our décolleté and the backs of our hands. And your hands will give away your age every time so we need to remember to apply SPF to them as well. So even though you may be getting some coverage from your products, its good to make sure you are getting enough coverage so that you can actually gain noticeable benefits.  

Excuse #2: I don’t go outside that much 

Have you ever seen the picture of the guy who drove trucks for a living and constantly had the left side of his face exposed to the sun through the driver’s side window but his right side was not? When I read this story years ago, it immediately motivated me to  cut out any slack in my routine.  It’s truly amazing to see how years of sun exposure adds up. We don’t think that the little bits of sun exposure matter much but if this picture shows us anything, it shows us that sun exposure adds up. 

Excuse #3: You have to apply it too often

Yes, we admit, it can be a bit of a nuisance. But thank goodness it’s 2020 (you won’t hear that anywhere else ;-) and we have better products. There’s a brand, Brush on Block, that has translucent and tan powder that you can dust on your face instead of spraying more sunscreen or having to slather more cream on. And let’s be honest, NO one is slathering on more cream after they take the time to do their makeup. I’ll be doing a review of their products that I use soon, stay tuned. (Just a quick mention that I am NOT paid nor do I receive any products or compensation for the above mentioned product. These are my honest-to-goodness recommendations.)

Excuse #4: It will clog my pores/ I’m too sensitive

Sorry sugar, this excuse won’t work either. If you have oily skin or acne prone skin, you can find sunscreens that are gel or water based. A popular one is Neutrogena Ultra Sheer. Acne prone skin is similar to sensitive skin and should avoid sunscreens that include alcohol, fragrances, oxybenzone, para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA), salicylates, and cinnamates.

Excuse #5: It leaves a white residue on my skin

We hear you. This was a valid point in the past. I have used sunscreen that had such a residue I had to buy foundation a shade darker to cancel out the white pasty look on my face. And I’m a white pasty girl by nature so I KNOW this had to be aggravating for those with any color in their skin tone.  To this I say, SuperGoop Clear Sunscreen. I have used this sunscreen and it goes on like a primer as it is silicone based as well.  It’s clear and leaves no residue which leaves you with no excuses. 

Excuse #6: It’s greasy. Ewwww.

We’ve come a long way baby. As we talked about in the previous point, there are now silicone based sunscreens that don’t leave a residue. We have powders that have sunscreen in them that aren’t greasy. We have ultra sheer options that don’t leave residue either.  We have sprays that we can spritz over our faces as a touch up before going outside and over makeup. The options are practically endless due to our heightened awareness.  Aren’t free markets great? We have so many choices, so pick one and get on with getting gorgeous. :-) 

 

 

 

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