As we all know, wearing sunscreen can be a life saver… literally! As someone who grew up in the 1970’s and 80’s, I have a lot of sun exposure and sun damage. Yes, I was the girl laying up on her parents roof with baby oil slathered on, enjoying the bronze glow for a few days, and paying the price for years. Then fast forward to the late 80’s when I worked at a fitness center that allow it’s employees unlimited tanning bed use. I know, I know… Eek! I’ve spent The last 20 years fighting the ravages of sun damage, from wrinkles to melanoma. Needless to say, I am a huge believer in sunscreen now, and wish I had been throughout my entire life. Don’t get me wrong, my mom did try to get me to use sun protection, but it was not nearly as available or effective as it is now. We are so lucky to have so many choices when it comes to sunscreen.
So, for a quick refresher, SPF (Sun Protection Factor) refers to how much coverage we have and for how long. Keep in mind that SPF refers ONLY to protection from UVB rays. UVA rays cause longer-term damage, and for this reason we need to get a sunscreen labeled “broad spectrum”. The higher the SPF number in the product, theoretically, the more protection we have. However this produces a diminishing return with any product higher than SPF 30, because the higher numbers don’t absorb UVB rays at the same rate exponentially. In order to figure approximately how much protection a suncare product gives, calculate the number of minutes it takes you to get any color X the SPF number. For example, I start to get color after 10 minutes in the sun, so SPF 15 would allow me ABOUT 150 minutes of protection… if applied properly. That means, we need to use as much product as is recommended by the manufacturer, which is more than most people put on, and apply 15 to 20 minutes prior to sun exposure. More truly is more when it comes to sunscreen. Please make sure to also protect your ears, scalp, back of your neck and feet, and to reapply as needed.
I very frequently hear people say that it is not convenient to reapply sunscreen after two hours or so, especially ladies when they have a full face of make up on. So here’s my super easy solution to this problem:
Carry the following in your car, purse, desk drawer, etc.:
- Make up remover cloths
- Plain or tinted SUNSCREEN moisturizer. I prefer tinted for a little extra coverage
- (If desired) a small container of blush or bronzer, and brush
Simply use the makeup remover cloth (see a couple favs above) to remove old sunscreen and/or foundation. Reapply tinted moisturizer. (I really love Revercel brand because it’s super emollient, and has a light and lovely tiny with great broad spectrum coverage.) Next, simply brush a little color on your cheeks, and you’re out the door! Now, I should mention that because I always wear sunglasses outdoors, I do not remove and reapply my eye and brow makeup. If I feel like I need a little extra SUNSCREEN, I will gently dab a little around my eyes, on top of my eye make up. I never touch my mascara or brow once I have make up on. I like to keep it simple.
I hope you love this super easy way to stay sun safe as much as I do. Please let me know any comments or questions you have.
-L💗
Lisa Melora 