How to keep your skin safe in the sun

Luckily, the thick, chalky-white sunscreen of our childhood days is a thing of the past. No longer is it a chore and an inconvenience to protect our skin from the sun. Although we were always led to believe that factor 30 and beyond was for hot summer days to prevent us from turning an unsightly (and sore) crimson shade, we now know that our skin needs SPF protection every day. 

Melasma, rosacea, skin sensitivity, pigmentation, and premature ageing are just some of the side effects of skipping sun protection all year round. The good news is, that it's not too late to start shielding your skin from the sun thanks to our easy-to-apply suncare range that seamlessly fits into your everyday regime. But, with summer just around the corner, we asked facialist, Renee Lapino, for her top tips on how to keep our skin sun-safe. 

What happens to our skin when our skin is exposed to the sun unprotected?

“The sun traumatises our collagen, making the strands shorten. This happens naturally when we age, so we don't want anything else to contribute or accelerate that. Our body then boosts our melanin production, which forms a layer of cells as a way to protect from sun damage – this is what most people call pigmentation.”

What are some common mistakes we make with sun protection?

“Applying too little sun cream is a main error. As a guide, adults should aim to apply around two teaspoons of sunscreen if you're just covering your face, arms and neck. Not forgetting areas like our ears. We also forget that sweat, water, and clothing can make our sun protection less effective, so we must reapply every two hours.   

Only applying suncream when there is full sun outside is another common mistake. UV rays are present whenever we have daylight, not just on sunny days, so we must protect our skin even in cloudy weather. UV rays bounce off heavy cloud cover which magnifies them, making the damage more intense”, adds Renee.

Is there anything we can do to reverse the effects of sun damage?

“Adding an antioxidant, like Super Greens Nutrient Boost Oil, and a retinol, such as Skin Dream Age-Defying Firming Cream Concentrate, to your daily routine will help to reverse the impacts of sun damage and prevent future damage", says Renee. 

What are some key things we should be doing to keep our skin safe in the sun?

“Use an antioxidant every morning. This could be found in your cleanser, your serum, or your moisturiser. Use a sunscreen of at least factor 30 every morning without fail – Sun Day Facial UV Defence is great! You should reapply this sunscreen every two hours, any time you are going to be near a window or outside.”