Spring Break Fun (and safety) in the Sun!
Spring break is upon us!!! Yay!! Woohoo!! We're all ready for a little relaxation, a break from our daily work, school, and schedules, and craving some warm weather and SUNSHINE. Yes that beautiful warm and comforting sun that brings us a mood boost with its natural source of Vitamin D and brings color to our winter pale skin.... well, it's a blessing and a curse. It has many wonderful benefits, however it's powerful and if indulged in without proper protection leads to skin aging in the form of lines, wrinkles, brown spots, broken capillaries, skin burns, and the dangerous and dreadful skin cancer that is definitely on the rise, even among younger people. So, we must exercise some prevention and protection so we can still enjoy the beauty of sunshine without the beastly damage to our precious skin. Sunscreen should be worn every single day and not just when it's summer or Spring break on the beach or at the pool.
The sun has both UVA/UVB rays and both do their fair share of damage. To simplify, UVB are the burning rays that give us the burn and then the bronze color and the UVA are the aging rays. These rays are the sneaky ones, as they travel the longest and the deepest and do the damage at a cellular level leading to fine line wrinkles, hyperpigmentation, and other signs of photo damage. This is a cumulative effect that spans our lifetime. These UVA rays are the same strength and intensity year round, where the UVB index fluctuates in intensity with the season and time of day. The UVA rays are invincible, as they travel through the cloud cover and still can do damage even if we feel the sun isn't "out". So here's the bottom line, arm yourself with a sunscreen every single day as we get exposure all the time, walking outside to and from our cars, through the side window of our vehicles, and sitting next to a window in our offices or homes.
The key to extended outdoor activity is to reapply every 90 min to 2 hours to maintain proper extended protection. If you are sweating heavily, or in and out of water, then you'll need to reapply more often than that.
Sunscreens have been created a lot better now with no parabens and chemicals using mostly a mineral base of zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These are minerals so they are "inert" on the skin, meaning they don't create a reaction on the skin, so even sensitive skinned individuals and acne-prone or problematic skin types can use them. Ladies that wear makeup daily, don't rely on the SPF that may be in your foundation or powder as that simply is not adequate enough protection.
Make sunscreen the last step in your skin care regimen daily and you'll be helping to prevent future aging and damage to the skin and skin cancers. Skin cancer is a real concern and we must heed the warning.
I have several different sunscreen options for all skin types. A brand new sunscreen product that just launched is by Epionce. It's a tinted SPF 50 mineral sunscreen. It is a one color fits all. It can be used like a makeup primer or even light coverage on its own and has that built in sunscreen. It glides on beautifully and makes the skin look healthy, smooth, and even toned. It's lovely! It retails for $38.
Pick up your sunscreen today and start enjoying the sun RESPONSIBLY. Your beautiful skin will thank you for it. :)
I also have sunscreens in my Rhonda Allison and Osmosis skin care lines. There are plenty of options to find that "right fit" for you. Enjoy your Spring break!
