Arm yourself with knowledge about sun damage, the importance of sun protection and dispel the many rumors and fallacies.
FALLACY: “I don’t need a sunscreen; I don’t get that much sun. I always wear sunscreen when I go to the beach.”
FACT: Most of the sun damage that occurs in our lifetime is from ambient sun exposure, not deliberate tanning. Walking to the mailbox, driving in the car, talking to your neighbor in the yard, and sitting by a window at work—all of these seemingly innocent scenarios expose the skin to damaging ultraviolet (UV) rays. It is cumulative sun exposure that causes eventual damage. Sun exposure at age 22 causes wrinkles and skin cancer at age 40 or 50. Every time you have unprotected exposure, damage is accumulating that will eventually show up as sagging, wrinkles, liver spots, and skin cancer.
FALLACY: “I want to get some sun, so I will apply sunscreen at the beach if I start to turn red.”
FACT: By the time you turn red, damage has already been done. Redness is the immune system in the blood investigating why the skin is being injured. Applying sunscreen on top of hot, burned skin is not a good idea! Apply your sunscreen at least 20 minutes before going into the sun. Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide sunscreens work immediately. Others take some time to take effect.
FALLACY: “I don’t wear sunscreen every day, but my makeup has an SPF.”
FACT: While it’s good to use cosmetics that contain sunscreen, the amount of protection can vary with the amount of makeup applied. No matter the SPF in your foundation, it’s important to apply broad-spectrum sunscreen under it all.
FALLACY: “I hate wearing a sunscreen on top of my moisturizer. It feels so heavy, and I hate smelling like a coconut!”
FACT: With today’s modern sunscreen and formulation technology, everyday moisturizers should contain broad-spectrum SPF-15 or higher sunscreen protection. Sunscreen protection is the number-one reason for using a day cream. There is no reason to have to wear two products or smell tropical! A good day product can have sunscreen protection and still be an excellent moisturizer. Every esthetician should be able to match a good sunscreen moisturizer to each client’s needs. For example, a client with oily skin needs a matte sunscreen with more hydrator than emollient. A client with dry or aging skin needs a sunscreen that will also contain ingredients like ceramides to help with dryness and make the skin look younger.
FALLACY: “I tan easily. I don’t need sunscreen.”
FACT: While it is true that darker skin is less likely to burn and more likely to tan from sun exposure, this does not mean the skin is not being damaged. There are plenty of deeply tanned people walking around with wrinkles and skin cancers. Continual exposure to UV rays causes cumulative and lasting damage to the skin structures, elastin and collagen fibrils, and pigment. The most dangerous part is that it can cause damage to the cellular DNA, which can result in skin cancers, including malignant melanoma. This can occur regardless of ethnicity or skin tone.
THE FINAL FACTS
Sun damage is the number-one cause of skin aging, the number one cause of liver spots and skin blotchiness, and is actually the number-one cause of cancer, as there are more types of skin cancers than any other form of cancer. It’s so important that you love your sunscreen. If you love it, your’ll wear it and stay protected from damaging UV rays. And, your skin will look better, younger longer!
“Source - Save Some Skin. Your guide to sun care facts & fallacies, by Mark Lees, Skin Deep Magazine, May/June 2017, Associated Skin Care Professionals”