With Spring upon us and Summer quickly approaching, I thought it best to have a blog post on protecting your facial skin.  As much as we all love a sun-kissed appearance we do need to be careful with UVA & UVB rays.

UVA and UVB rays will accelerate aging and lead to abnormal cellular growths that can lead to cancer.  Sunburns interfere with the skins’ natural purpose of protection and temperature regulation of the body.

I recommend a sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection.  Dermatologists have proven that the number one product to both prevent premature aging and sun damage is sunscreen.  Luckily, getting an SPF (UVB Protection) & PPD (UVA Protection) on our skin is easier than ever.  The beauty industry now includes sunscreen agents into everything from body lotions, tinted moisturizers, and mineral foundations.  Do your research; however, and make sure you are investing in a quality product with effective SPF & PPD protection.

Current Best Practices: After applying your moisturizer but before applying your makeup, use ¼ teaspoon of sunscreen to the face.  Don’t rub it in, but rather pat.  Apply 20 – 30 minutes prior to sun exposure.

Revision Skincare makes Intellishade.  Intellishade is a best-selling tinted moisturizer that gives skin a touch of sheer, healthy color. Formulated with an advanced peptide and broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection, it’s the smart way to care for your skin.  I personally use this product.

Glo Therapeutics Moisturizing Tint: A lightweight, oil free formula that provides moisture to combat dehydration and dryness, broad spectrum UVA/UVB protection to guard against the sun’s damaging rays and a sheer hint of color to softly even tone and enhance skin’s radiance.

Even when using a sunscreen, the sun isn’t the only thing bombarding our skin. Free radicals, pollution, temperature and even the products put INTO our bodies have a direct impact upon the skin.

Protect and feed the skin. Pay special attention to the areas that are exposed to the elements most often, like the face, neck and décolletage areas. Sadly, those planes of flesh also happen to be among the thinnest on the body, making any help offered that much more valuable. This is where finding the best Vitamin C Serum out there comes into play.

Vitamin C Serum is a protective barrier when applied in the morning, and we at Day by Day Beauty recommend a morning application.  Vitamin C Serum is infused with antioxidants.  The Vitamin C shields the skin from environmental aggressors and free radicals.  (For more information on environmental aggressors; please visit this post.)  Some people have the misconception that Vitamin C Serum makes the facial skin more sensitive to the sun.  This is not the case.  To clarify, Vitamin C Serum does not provide a broad-spectrum protection, which is why daily sunscreen protection is still recommended, but will not increase light sensitivity.

Current Best Practices: Apply small amount with fingertips to freshly cleansed and toned face, neck, and décolleté areas (avoid direct contact with eyes). Allow time to absorb and follow with a moisturizer. Use a gentle upsweeping motion to spread the product. It is not necessary to knead into the skin.  (Video on application can be viewed here.)

Day by Day Beauty’s Vitamin C Serum is a protectant shield when applied in the morning.

So protect your skin this summer with a broad spectrum sunscreen & Vitamin C Serum!