Without Doubt, The Best Things To Look Out For In A Sunscreen
It’s vital to make sure your sunscreen is doing everything it can to protect you from the sun’s evil rays. Here’s how to get on that.
The sun is annoying. When it’s out everything seems better. Your mood elevates, your spirit lifts, your hair looks shiny, heck even your complexion looks great. But beneath all that fabulous stuff lies some serious business. Because as awesome as the sun is – heck, we’d be non-existent without it – it’s just no good.
No good as far as your skin is concerned, anyway.
Ticking clocks aside, the sun is the number one cause of skin aging. In fact, it’s responsible for somewhere between 80 and 90 percent of all your aging skin concerns. Wrinkles? Sun. Loss of firmness? Sun. Dark spots? Sun. Almost always, you can point the finger at the sun. Also, did you know that over 80 percent of skin cancers are caused by overexposure to UV radiation?
As we said: the sun is no good.
Of course, we don’t recommend you close the blinds and never leave the house again. Drama, much? But being more sun savvy is something we can all accomplish. Staying out of the midday sun, wearing wide-brimmed hats and choosing protective clothing, for example – not too much to ask, right?
It's also wise to wear sunscreen whenever you expose your skin to the sun. It’s just common sense if you care about warding off premature skin aging for as long as possible. And it's an extremely important tool for preventing skin cancer which, according to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), around one in five Americans will develop at some point in their lives.
But what are the most important things a good sunscreen should offer or are they all decent enough? Well, in answer to the latter, no they’re not. And to answer the former, keep scrolling for the five most important things to look out for…
1. The Magic SPF Number
As we’re sure you know, a sunscreen’s SPF value is there to show you how well it’s going to protect you from burning. Low numbers offer you less protection whereas high numbers give you much greater protection. Simple enough, right? Ha, if only. Going by these rules makes it tempting to choose insanely high SPF ratings in a bid to protect your skin as best you can. However, the truth is that SPF 30 actually blocks a whopping 97 percent of UVB radiation, so anything higher than that is going to be very minimal. SPF 50, for example, only blocks an extra 1 percent, and studies show that anything above that provides almost no additional protection whatsoever.
That’s why we believe, along with most skin experts, that SPF 30 is the sweet spot.
Also, what about UVA radiation? Well, we’ll come to that in a minute because SPF doesn’t go there, it’s only an indication of UVB protection – the one that causes sunburn – not UVA which is present all year long and the biggest offender of skin aging. An easy way to remember which is which? Think UVA for aging and UVB for burning.
2. The Term ‘Broad Spectrum’
So you’ve got your UVB protection sorted thanks to SPF, but how do you know your product will also protect you from UVA radiation? After all, UVA rays are around every day, eating away at your collagen supplies and aging up your skin like nobody’s business – even on cloudy days. They’re arguably the worst of the lot.
Thankfully, there’s a simple way to ensure you’re getting the right level of UVA protection from your sunscreen: only ever buy broad spectrum. Any product that doesn’t mention this term? Not worth your dollars.
A broad-spectrum formulation that has SPF 30 is ideal for providing you with the optimum level of protection from both UVA and UVB radiation. It’s what we like to call the best of both worlds.
3. The Gold Standard Mineral Protection
There are two types of sun protection – mineral and chemical. Chemical sunscreens use ingredients like oxybenzone, octisalate, avobenzone, octocrylene and octinoxate to absorb and break down UV rays where they are then released back out through your skin. They’re pretty smart, but some experts believe they cause hormonal disruption as well as damage to the planet’s waterways and marine life. We’re not keen on any of that.
Mineral (or physical) sunscreens, on the other hand, contain active mineral ingredients like zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These sit on the surface of your skin, forming a physical, reflective barrier against UV radiation, and we believe they’re way more effective at stopping the sun’s rays from potentially damaging your skin.
Both zinc oxide and titanium dioxide naturally protect your skin from UVA and UVB radiation which is another plus point and why they’re the only two sunscreen ingredients currently proposed safe and effective by the FDA. They’re also environment friendly and provide instant protection for your skin. Chemical sunscreens have to be applied at least 20 minutes before exposure.
Mineral protection is the only way to go, IOHO.
4. The Antioxidant Extras
Products that go the extra mile for your skin are priceless. So, if you really want to maximize the effects of your sunscreen, look out for formulations that also contain antioxidants.
Antioxidants fight tooth and nail to shield your skin from the damaging effects of free radicals, and exposure to the sun is one of the biggest causes of free radicals. When you put two and two together, therefore, it makes perfect sense that antioxidants should be a non-negotiable part of your daily skincare routine.
Studies have shown that one of the best antioxidants for sun protection is vitamin C. It’s genius for neutralizing any free radicals that are trying to do a number on your collagen supplies, plus it makes your sunscreen work harder and better by improving the absorption of UV radiation.
If that’s not enough to convince you, vitamin C also helps reduce and fade dark spots by blocking melanin production. The good news is that our SPF 30 Mineral Sunscreen contains a hefty amount of antioxidant-rich vitamin C so it does all the hard work for you. You're welcome!
5. The Best Possible Water Resistance
OK, so this one isn’t quite as important for your daily facial sunscreen – unless you spend all day, every day in a swimming pool or the ocean – but when on vacation, a water resistant formulation is vital.
In order to have the term ‘water resistant’ on its label, a product has to be tested to offer resistance from the clear stuff for at least 40 minutes. After that period of time, you MUST reapply.
However, let’s get one thing clear, sunscreens can never be entirely waterproof (it’s impossible), so if you see that written on a bottle that’s a red flag right there. It’s also disallowed by the FDA so... naughty.
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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
