Why Sunscreen AND Antioxidants Are A Summertime No-Brainer
Want to ensure your skin is doubly protected from the slings and arrows of the sun? Then the winning combination of sunscreen and antioxidants is everything.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again: sunlight is the number one cause of skin aging. OK, in truth, your genetics are the actual number one, but you can’t change your genes, so go figure.
So, why is the sun so damaging? After all, it's deliciously lovely, warm and instantly makes us feel and look ten times better. So why, oh why do we have to be careful in its presence?
How The Sun Affects Your Skin
Sunlight is split into various forms of energy called the electromagnetic spectrum. This intricate spectrum includes visible light (the stuff you can see), infrared radiation (heat) and ultraviolet radiation among others. And it’s the UV radiation that’s to blame for over 80 percent of your fine lines, wrinkles, dark spots and sagging skin. UV is extremely powerful and not only accelerates premature aging, but is also believed to be one of the biggest causes of skin cancer.
But UV isn’t simply a one-and-done type of radiation. Ha, if only it were that easy. In fact, UV is split into three different wavelengths: UVA, UVB and UVC. UVC rays are the shortest and, thanks to the ozone, don’t reach the Earth’s surface or, consequently your skin, so you can forget about the Cs. But the Bs and As? They’re a big deal.
UVA rays have the longest wavelength and make up about 95 percent of the UV radiation that hits your skin. UVA rays are able to penetrate through clouds and even glass, which means that they’re present all year round – summer, spring, fall and yes, even winter – AND they can get to your skin even if you’re inside, near a window. UVA radiation penetrates deep into your skin, screwing up your collagen, depleting elastin, ruining your barrier function and basically aging you up like it was its one true mission in life.
UVB rays, meanwhile, have a slightly shorter wavelength and aren’t so prevalent in the winter months. Nor do they penetrate your skin on such a deep level. However, don’t underestimate the Bs because they’re just as bad for your skin and they’re the ones most responsible for sunburn.
Sunscreen: Your Best Defense Against UV
Everyone knows that sunscreen should be a crucial part of your daily skincare regime. But while you might know it, do you actually put it into practice? The big picture is that if you don’t apply sunscreen to safeguard your skin from damaging UV radiation you’re putting your skin at risk. And not only of premature aging, but also of skin cancer. In fact, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation regular use of daily sunscreen can reduce your risk of developing skin cancers by between 40 and 50 percent. That’s major, if you ask us.
The uptake is that you should apply sunscreen every morning without fail, even if you’re going to be sat at your desk all day – windows, remember? Not sure what to look out for in your sunscreen? We can help with that here but, in short, the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) recommends the following.
1. Always choose broad-spectrum protection to ensure your skin is shielded from both UVA and UVB radiation.
2. Never go below SPF 30 to truly safeguard your skin.
3. Choose water-resistant formulations.
Our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C is an incredible choice for daily use because it blocks around 90 percent of UVB radiation (that’s the SPF30 working hard, right there), plus it keeps you equally safe from UVA radiation (thanks to its broad-spectrum formulation).
Not only that, but our sunscreen contains vitamin C – one of the most effective antioxidants available in skincare.
The Wonder Of Antioxidants
Without doubt, sunscreen is our number one recommendation for sun protection. That, and staying away from direct sun as much as possible. Living your life, of course, just doing it safely.
But there’s another skincare essential for helping to prevent photoaging from hitting you in the face too soon: topical antioxidants. Why are they so crucial? Because they fight tooth and nail to neutralize free radicals. And if you don’t know what free radicals are, allow us to explain.
Free radicals are compounds that form in your skin when it’s been subjected to things like smoking, pollution and the biggest offender of them all, the sun. Free radicals are no good for your skin, destroying important proteins and causing what’s known as oxidative stress which leads to the breakdown of collagen and elastin, and results in lines, wrinkles and premature sagging.
Unfortunately, there’s no escaping free radicals – that’s the joy of modern living – however, antioxidants are their absolute nemesis, limiting their negative effects by neutralizing them before they get a chance to cause too much damage. Your body has its very own natural antioxidant system but the onslaughts of everyday life are often too much for it to keep up with. So you have to give it a helping hand with an antioxidant-rich diet (here’s looking at you fresh fruit and veggies) and by applying topical antioxidants.
Studies have shown that two of the best topical antioxidants for protecting your skin from the sun and all the free radicals that come with it are vitamins C and E. Of course, it’s worth remembering that antioxidants won’t shield your skin from sunburn (that’s what your SPF is for) but they’re a great addition to the party and, when combined with SPF are the real deal.
Our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen contains a hefty sum of vitamin C but to really hit those free radicals hard, we like to apply an antioxidant serum underneath. We have plenty of awesome formulations to choose from but here are our summertime favorites.
1. Vitamin C Facial Serum
Our very own TruSkin OG and still the best-seller on Amazon, Vitamin C Facial Serum combines gentle vitamin C (sodium ascorbyl phosphate) along with vitamin E, hydrating hyaluronic acid, aloe vera and jojoba oil.
2. Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum
If you never know which vitamin to choose from in your skincare routine (they all sound SO good), we say, don’t. Instead, go for our Multi-Vitamin Facial Serum which fuses a holistic blend of antioxidant-rich vits with skin-hydrating minerals.
3. Niacinamide (B3) Facial Serum
One of our gentlest serums, Niacinamide (B3) Facial Serum is an everyday essential that harnesses the antioxidant powers of niacinamide to strengthen, soothe and illuminate your skin tone. Light and silky, it’s a shoo-in for those hot, summer months. And, in fact, for all the months!
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![The Do’s & Don’ts Of Summer Skincare – Whatever Your Skin Type]()
Did you know, your skincare routine needs to work extra hard during the summer months to ensure your complexion stays clear, moisturized and protected all season long?
One of the most important ways to keep your skin healthy is to employ a solid, consistent skincare routine. All year round. And what this means is finding your perfect product matches to help you build a basic routine that includes a gentle cleanser, facial serum, eye cream, moisturizer and sunscreen.
Once you find your sweet spots, however, this doesn’t mean you have to stick to them to the letter. Because things change. And so does your skin.
During the summertime, days get longer and warmer – which means more time outdoors and more environmental stressors for your skin to contend with. The weather also becomes more humid (depending on where you live, of course) which offers up more water in the air. And that’s great for your skin (free moisture, yay!), but super annoying for your hair (one word: frizz).
So, what are the best ways to ensure your routine stays fairly consistent while allowing your skin to smoothly transition from winter to summer? Below, are some of the most important dos and don’ts we believe are crucial for this time of year.
DO Try A Double Cleanse In The Evening
As a rule, we believe that cleansing your skin with just one gentle, but effective formulation should be enough. However, in the summertime you’re potentially sweating more and (definitely) piling on more sunscreen, so an evening double cleanse can be a really good trick to have up your sleeves to ensure your pores are clean and clear before bed.
Double cleansing is pretty simple. It requires cleansing your skin twice – first with an oil-based formulation to cut through makeup, sebum and sunscreen, then again with a water-based product to get rid of sweat and other surface debris. It’s a great way to thoroughly cleanse your skin before bed when it needs just that little bit more after a day in the heat. Try taking off your makeup with an oil-based remover or balm first, then wash your skin with your regular, gentle face wash. We’re big fans of using Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser in the summertime but we have plenty of awesome ones to choose from, right here.
DON’T Overdo The Actives
It’s tempting to go wild with active ingredients in the summer when your skin feels stronger and more resilient. Don’t do that. Topical actives like retinol, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and vitamin C are fabulous ways to target and treat your skin. However, you need to tread carefully with them – especially when it comes to retinol which is a potent ingredient that encourages your skin to turn over more efficiently. It’s an incredible way to boost the tone, texture and condition of your skin, for sure, but too much of a good thing can cause sensitivities and will make you more susceptible to the slings and arrows of UV radiation.
Our advice is to stick with retinol at night only, and maybe apply it just two or three times a week depending on your skin. You could also switch it out for bakuchiol which is a milder alternative and a real winner during the summer months. Try our Longevity Regimen Bundle which includes all three of our bakuchiol formulations – Rejuvenating Longevity Serum, Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream and Depuffing Longevity Eye Cream.
DO Apply Sunscreen Daily
The single most important way to look after your skin and preserve its integrity is to apply sunscreen every freakin’ day. It’s the most effective way to protect your skin from premature aging and will decrease your risk of skin cancer dramatically. Of course, the sun is around all year long, but in the summertime the intensity of UVB radiation is going to burn your skin lightning fast unless you shield it with a high quality sunscreen.
Your sunscreen should be the final step in your routine every morning, and it should check BOTH of these boxes.
✅ It must be SPF 30 or above. This blocks about 97 percent of UVB radiation.
✅ It must be broad-spectrum. This ensure it offers equal protection from UVA as well as UVB radiation. And that’s the stuff that’s around all year long, even on cloudy days.
We also prefer mineral sunscreens like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide over chemical ones like oxybenzone and octisalate. Mineral sunscreens are a more natural choice. They’re also environmentally-friendly and provide instant protection as soon as they’re applied.
Get your fill of all of the above check points with our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C.
DON’T Forget To Reapply It, Regularly
Applying sunscreen to your face once a day in the winter is OK since you’re probably not spending that much time outdoors. However, in the summertime, when you’re likely to be outside and exposing your skin to longer periods of sunshine, it’s crucial to reapply generously, every couple of hours.
DO Up Your Topical Vitamin C
Vitamin C and summer are like gin and tonic – perfect together. Vitamin C is one of the most die-hard antioxidants, working like crazy to combat the free radical damage that amps up big time in the summertime (thanks to UV radiation). It also contains properties that help inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme that generates melanin synthesis.
As you know, melanin is responsible for the color of your skin, hair and eyes, and when you expose your skin to sunlight, melanin production goes into overdrive, making your skin tan. Melanin production can also become erratic if you keep on battering it with UV radiation, resulting in patches of dark skin otherwise known as sun spots. And this is where topical C comes to the rescue. By inhibiting tyrosinase and thus regulating melanin production, vitamin C helps to gradually fade patchy, dark areas and limit your risk of developing new ones.
We use an awesome derivative of pure vitamin C called sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) across all of our vitamin C formulations. Why SAP? Well, it’s way more stable than the pure stuff. It's also gentler on your skin which makes it officially the perfect way to treat your skin without causing irritation. Try our Vitamin C Facial Serum underneath your moisturizer every morning.
DON’T Be Tempted To Over-Exfoliate
Over-exfoliating is one of the most common skin faux-pas out there and it’s hella bad for your barrier function, making your skin dehydrated and itchy if you’re not careful. Most derms agree, however, that it can be a great idea to up the exfoliating ante in the summertime to help keep your pores clean and clear while balancing excess sebum and controlling breakouts.
This doesn’t give you free rein, however, to exfoliate too much. And by ‘too much’ we mean every day. Instead, slowly increase the number of days you exfoliate per week to get a more sensible feel of what your skin can handle.
We have two awesome exfoliators to suit all tastes. Our new Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub is an incredible physical scrub while 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant harness the powers of exfoliating acids to unclog pores and reveal brighter, stronger skin. Take your pick!
DO Lighten Up Your Moisturizing Routine
Moisturizing your skin (whatever your skin type) is vital all year but you can definitely afford to lighten it up in the summertime if you feel like your regular moisturizer becomes too much. Just don’t forego moisturizer altogether. That’s a huge mistake.
Thanks to all that extra humidity in the air during the summer months, your skin is treated to way more hydration than in the winter when the air is colder and drier. So, make the most of this by introducing a lightweight hyaluronic acid serum into your routine. Hyaluronic acid draws in all that water from the air and soaks it into the surface of the skin.
Apply Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum after cleansing and toning, but before your light lotion or gel moisturizer.
And that's what we call the perfect moisturization routine – all without any pore-clogging ingredients ruining your skin’s mojo.
The Do’s & Don’ts Of Summer Skincare – Whatever Your Skin Type
read more -
![The Do’s & Don’ts Of Summer Skincare – Whatever Your Skin Type]()
Did you know, your skincare routine needs to work extra hard during the summer months to ensure your complexion stays clear, moisturized and protected all season long?
One of the most important ways to keep your skin healthy is to employ a solid, consistent skincare routine. All year round. And what this means is finding your perfect product matches to help you build a basic routine that includes a gentle cleanser, facial serum, eye cream, moisturizer and sunscreen.
Once you find your sweet spots, however, this doesn’t mean you have to stick to them to the letter. Because things change. And so does your skin.
During the summertime, days get longer and warmer – which means more time outdoors and more environmental stressors for your skin to contend with. The weather also becomes more humid (depending on where you live, of course) which offers up more water in the air. And that’s great for your skin (free moisture, yay!), but super annoying for your hair (one word: frizz).
So, what are the best ways to ensure your routine stays fairly consistent while allowing your skin to smoothly transition from winter to summer? Below, are some of the most important dos and don’ts we believe are crucial for this time of year.
DO Try A Double Cleanse In The Evening
As a rule, we believe that cleansing your skin with just one gentle, but effective formulation should be enough. However, in the summertime you’re potentially sweating more and (definitely) piling on more sunscreen, so an evening double cleanse can be a really good trick to have up your sleeves to ensure your pores are clean and clear before bed.
Double cleansing is pretty simple. It requires cleansing your skin twice – first with an oil-based formulation to cut through makeup, sebum and sunscreen, then again with a water-based product to get rid of sweat and other surface debris. It’s a great way to thoroughly cleanse your skin before bed when it needs just that little bit more after a day in the heat. Try taking off your makeup with an oil-based remover or balm first, then wash your skin with your regular, gentle face wash. We’re big fans of using Vitamin C Brightening Cleanser in the summertime but we have plenty of awesome ones to choose from, right here.
DON’T Overdo The Actives
It’s tempting to go wild with active ingredients in the summer when your skin feels stronger and more resilient. Don’t do that. Topical actives like retinol, alpha hydroxy acids (AHAs) and vitamin C are fabulous ways to target and treat your skin. However, you need to tread carefully with them – especially when it comes to retinol which is a potent ingredient that encourages your skin to turn over more efficiently. It’s an incredible way to boost the tone, texture and condition of your skin, for sure, but too much of a good thing can cause sensitivities and will make you more susceptible to the slings and arrows of UV radiation.
Our advice is to stick with retinol at night only, and maybe apply it just two or three times a week depending on your skin. You could also switch it out for bakuchiol which is a milder alternative and a real winner during the summer months. Try our Longevity Regimen Bundle which includes all three of our bakuchiol formulations – Rejuvenating Longevity Serum, Renewing Longevity Moisturizing Cream and Depuffing Longevity Eye Cream.
DO Apply Sunscreen Daily
The single most important way to look after your skin and preserve its integrity is to apply sunscreen every freakin’ day. It’s the most effective way to protect your skin from premature aging and will decrease your risk of skin cancer dramatically. Of course, the sun is around all year long, but in the summertime the intensity of UVB radiation is going to burn your skin lightning fast unless you shield it with a high quality sunscreen.
Your sunscreen should be the final step in your routine every morning, and it should check BOTH of these boxes.
✅ It must be SPF 30 or above. This blocks about 97 percent of UVB radiation.
✅ It must be broad-spectrum. This ensure it offers equal protection from UVA as well as UVB radiation. And that’s the stuff that’s around all year long, even on cloudy days.
We also prefer mineral sunscreens like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide over chemical ones like oxybenzone and octisalate. Mineral sunscreens are a more natural choice. They’re also environmentally-friendly and provide instant protection as soon as they’re applied.
Get your fill of all of the above check points with our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen with Vitamin C.
DON’T Forget To Reapply It, Regularly
Applying sunscreen to your face once a day in the winter is OK since you’re probably not spending that much time outdoors. However, in the summertime, when you’re likely to be outside and exposing your skin to longer periods of sunshine, it’s crucial to reapply generously, every couple of hours.
DO Up Your Topical Vitamin C
Vitamin C and summer are like gin and tonic – perfect together. Vitamin C is one of the most die-hard antioxidants, working like crazy to combat the free radical damage that amps up big time in the summertime (thanks to UV radiation). It also contains properties that help inhibit tyrosinase, an enzyme that generates melanin synthesis.
As you know, melanin is responsible for the color of your skin, hair and eyes, and when you expose your skin to sunlight, melanin production goes into overdrive, making your skin tan. Melanin production can also become erratic if you keep on battering it with UV radiation, resulting in patches of dark skin otherwise known as sun spots. And this is where topical C comes to the rescue. By inhibiting tyrosinase and thus regulating melanin production, vitamin C helps to gradually fade patchy, dark areas and limit your risk of developing new ones.
We use an awesome derivative of pure vitamin C called sodium ascorbyl phosphate (SAP) across all of our vitamin C formulations. Why SAP? Well, it’s way more stable than the pure stuff. It's also gentler on your skin which makes it officially the perfect way to treat your skin without causing irritation. Try our Vitamin C Facial Serum underneath your moisturizer every morning.
DON’T Be Tempted To Over-Exfoliate
Over-exfoliating is one of the most common skin faux-pas out there and it’s hella bad for your barrier function, making your skin dehydrated and itchy if you’re not careful. Most derms agree, however, that it can be a great idea to up the exfoliating ante in the summertime to help keep your pores clean and clear while balancing excess sebum and controlling breakouts.
This doesn’t give you free rein, however, to exfoliate too much. And by ‘too much’ we mean every day. Instead, slowly increase the number of days you exfoliate per week to get a more sensible feel of what your skin can handle.
We have two awesome exfoliators to suit all tastes. Our new Vitamin C Gentle Face Scrub is an incredible physical scrub while 6% AHA, BHA + PHA Liquid Exfoliant harness the powers of exfoliating acids to unclog pores and reveal brighter, stronger skin. Take your pick!
DO Lighten Up Your Moisturizing Routine
Moisturizing your skin (whatever your skin type) is vital all year but you can definitely afford to lighten it up in the summertime if you feel like your regular moisturizer becomes too much. Just don’t forego moisturizer altogether. That’s a huge mistake.
Thanks to all that extra humidity in the air during the summer months, your skin is treated to way more hydration than in the winter when the air is colder and drier. So, make the most of this by introducing a lightweight hyaluronic acid serum into your routine. Hyaluronic acid draws in all that water from the air and soaks it into the surface of the skin.
Apply Hyaluronic Acid Facial Serum after cleansing and toning, but before your light lotion or gel moisturizer.
And that's what we call the perfect moisturization routine – all without any pore-clogging ingredients ruining your skin’s mojo.
The Do’s & Don’ts Of Summer Skincare – Whatever Your Skin Type
read more
