Summer Skincare

February 6th, 2009 | Posted in: Skincare |

Everybody is aware of the fact that prolonged sun exposure will burn your skin. Not as many people know that it will also cause your skin to age faster. For summer skin care, it’s the same old story, now with more information. Protecting your skin from burning is a must, but most sunscreens are inadequate to protect you from sun-induced aging. SPF for sunscreens measures how many times longer you can stay out in the sun than if you weren’t using it. But it only measures protection against UVB rays, which are associated with burning and skin cancer. SPF does not measure any protection against UVA rays, which are associated with skin aging from sun damage. Good sunscreen/sunblock products will protect you from both.

Most people don’t know that about 80% of skin aging and damage to your skin is caused by the time you are 30. It just doesn’t show itself until later in life. If you don’t take care of your skin when you are younger, you will regret it later with faster aging of your skin as well as increased risk of skin cancer.

Melanin, the pigment in the epidermis of your skin, actually protects you from burning as readily. So having a base tan, while not as good as having a UVA/UVB sunblock, will allow you to stay out in the sun longer.

For our Southern California, sun-loving patients, we recommend Tizo3 sunscreen. Tizo3 Mineral SPF is a mineral-based, utilizing ultra micronized titanium dioxide and zinc oxide as its approved active sunscreen ingredients. It is free of dyes, fragrance, chemical-free, and oil-free, and it is tinted. The texture is that of silk or silicone, and patients love it. Give yourself 5 minutes to apply proper sunscreen, and you’ll get 5 years back . . .