Prepare to Bare! Skin Health and Sunscreens
Summer is here and it’s time to bare those legs and get the shorts and sun dresses out! Here are some top tips for healthy skin and preparing your skin for a healthy tan!
Top tips for healthy, glowing skin
- Have plenty of anti-oxidants – by eating a ‘rainbow’ of fruit and vegetables daily. Aim for 2 fruit and 6 vegetables (or more!). Antioxidants are really important for healthy skin and protecting against free radical damage, caused by the sun.
- Consider an anti-oxidant supplement– such as one containing anthocyanidins (these are plant anti-oxidants found in blue and red berries and fruits). Anthocyanidins have been shown to reduce the effects of damage from the sun.
- Eat ‘good fats’ – eg nuts, seeds, avocado and oily fish (sardines, salmon, mackerel), which contain essential fats omega 3 and 6, needed for healthy skin.
- Consider an Omega 3 supplement as well – especially if you don’t eat much oily fish.
- Drink 2 litres of filtered or mineral water a day -to keep it hydrated.
- Dry skin brush your skin before adding moisturiser or fake tan – dry skin brushing helps circulation and removes dead skin cells, so helps get a better application. It is also beneficial in supporting detoxification.
Choosing the right sunscreen
UVA and UVB rays are both damaging to the skin. UVA rays penetrate more deeply and cause skin ageing and cell damage. UVB causes burning.
Sunscreens have an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) which is a measurement of how well it protects from UVB rays. However a sunscreen needs to protect us from UVA as well, so look for sunscreens that have a high UVA protection too.
We absorb a lot of what we put on our skin, so choose sunscreens that are free from harmful chemicals.
Some products have to be continually re applied but there are ones which use liposomal technology to provide a ‘once a day’ formula, that don’t need to be re-applied after sweating, swimming, or towel drying.
So in summary look for:
- Fragrance free (fragrance is drying for the skin)
- Free of preservatives and emulsifiers
- Hypoallergenic (for sensitive skin and to prevent prickly heat)
- Ideally with added anti-oxidants
- UVA filter of ideally 90% (or more)
According to Ultrasun, it is best to apply sunscreen 15-30 minutes before going out in the sun, as up to 60% protection can be lost if it’s applied in direct sunlight.
Sensitive skin?
Do a patch test. Come in store and try some of our testers!