The sun comes out, and we rejoice. We flock to the nearest beach/park/garden/balcony/field – anything will do – in order to get our fair share of those sought after rays. It feels wonderful to have the sun beating down on us, warming our hearts and minds, making us reach for that cool refreshing beer or cocktail. It makes us happy. But does it make our skin happy? What can you do to ensure you are looking after yourself whilst still enjoying the rays? It really is so important to understand the layers of protecting your skin, in order to stay safe, sexy and summer perfect.
We all know we should wear sun cream. We all know it stops us from getting painfully burnt. But do you know how important it really is to wear SPF as often as possible? For instance, most of the facial moisturisers we sell at Mimosa Beauty have at least factor 15 SPF. Why? Because your face needs to be protected from the rays even on overcast days. We sell facial products such as the Priori Daily Defense which is an SPF 30 as a separate cream to be used before make up, which we whole heartedly believe is the best way to protect your skin daily. This is so that the skin is protected to its highest level. Exposure to the sun makes our skin dry, crack and look older if it is not protected. So many base make up products (including our wonderful Coffee Berry range) include SPF in their formulas because we must protect our skin every single day. It still amazes me now how some of my clients do not recognise the importance of having daily protection on their face; I often say, ‘Look after your face now, and it will look after you later.’ Sun damage can lead to premature aging (wrinkles!), eye damage and skin cancer. Avoid these nasties simply by slathering on some protection daily on your face.
We know that having tanned skin makes us feel healthier and look more radiant, but do we know what a tan actually is? Sorry to get technical here, but a tan is literally your skin trying to protect itself from sun damage. When a type of radiation (UV – ultra violet) is exposed to the skin, the skin responds by producing melanin. Melanin is a dark substance which prevents the body from taking in too many harmful rays that can damage skin. Some of us have more melanin in our bodies than others – if you are fair and pale skinned, you are likely to have less. When you think about this logically, it strange to think how when we sun bathe, we are exposing ourselves to the sun which makes our bodies automatically try and protect themselves against. Surely this isn’t something we should be doing without protecting ourselves with an SPF factor to keep as safe as possible?
Another aspect about keeping safe in the sun is the importance of checking moles and other marks on your skin regularly. It is a sad fact that if you avoid wearing sun cream and you are graced with moles on your body, you may be more likely to suffer from skin cancer or other nasty complaints. If your moles are looking slightly redder, showing a darker, uneven shade in areas or raised, you must get yourself to the doctors for a check-up as soon as possible. It is not worth the risk.
This is not a scaremongering blog. I am not saying you should not sit in the sun. Or if you do, I am not advocating you sit on your sun lounger with in a balaclava and west suit. Far from it. My advice is always going to be to keep that sun cream with a high SPF with you to protect yourself from the rays. Mimosa Beauty prides itself on helping our clients look and feel beautiful, for as long as possible – start protecting your skin now, for a more perfect summer in the future.