14 DAY TRIAL // With the arrival of the summer, we found ourselves not so much assaulted as positively swamped with tips and advertisements for sunscreen products. The new sun care technologies can sometimes be very confusing, so much so in fact that we often don't get a clear picture of what exactly we need to protect our face and body from the harmful effects of sun exposure, while at the same time reaping most of the benefits of hot weather. To help you out, here is a little guide with essential bits of advice - courtesy of Elle. Have a look at what experts advise us to do in order to keep our faces well-protected, and keep in mind some of their practical suggestions for your next beauty shopping trip.
So, what's the main problem with protecting our faces from the sun? Well, believe it or not, it's not the sunscreen as such, but rather the fact that many of us believe one application in the morning is enough to last throughout the day. This is not the case. The key to sunscreens is not necessarily to go for one with SPF 50, but choose one that will not run and reapply at least every two hours. "You also need both UVA and UVB protection-the UVB rays cause burning and redness, but both types cause skin cancer", explains Dr. Alysa Herman, dermatologist and educational spokesperson for The Skin Cancer Foundation, quoted by Elle.
If you sweat a lot, it's best to go for a chemical sunscreen. Here is a precious tip: next time you go shopping for such a product, look for one that contains mexoryl. "Mexoryl is a chemical that deflects the suns rays [...] and it provides the most protection from the largest range of the sun's rays", one expert advises us. Lanc?me and L'Oreal are already using this compound in their products, so go for one of their sunscreens and check the label. Another good idea is to use a face cream with antioxidants, as it helps avoid premature aging and skin cancer.
Finally, two more tips that will help you protect your eyes and your lips. For added eye protection, it's a good idea to wear oversize, curved sunglasses that wrap around our faces and give us UVA and UVB protection. As for protecting our lips, keep in mind that SPF factors are usually lower in lip balms than in face creams, which means that we'll have to reapply lip balm about once every hour to get lasting protection. An even better idea is to go for a waxy balm rather than a thin gloss, as the former will stay put and protect your lips for longer.
