Sun Protection Facts By Victoria Jones It’s always important to protect your skin from the sun, but this is especially so during the summer. I recommend wearing a sun protectant factor of at least 30. I don’t think that an spf 15 is always enough for people, so I like to be safe. There are two types of spf: physical and chemical. A physical sun block will contain either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. This is basically the white stuff you would see on a lifeguard’s nose. But now it’s clear, so you could wear it all day every day and no one would know! A physical sun block sits on the surface of the skin and reflects the sun’s rays. It forms a much more complete barrier against both UVA (aging) rays and UVB (burning) rays. A physical sun block is great for people who are sun sensitive or have an actual sun allergy. Also, with a physical sun block you don’t need to worry about applying one half hour before going outside, which I find very handy in the summer months when all activities are on the go. Now, a chemical sun block will give you serious coverage. It works by actually penetrating the skin and causing a chemical change. You do need to wait a half hour after applying a chemical block before going outside. If you do not see the words ‘titanium’ or ‘zinc’ in a sun block’s list of ingredients, then it is a chemical block. While I find that the chemical block is a better protectant against UVB rays, it does not provide as much protection from UVA rays as a physical block. As an esthetician, I get asked quite often why some mosturizers do not contain SPF. This has a simple explanation. We believe that physical sun block provides much more complete protection, so this is the type of sunscreen that we recommend. Physical sun block has to sit on the surface of the skin to reflect the sun’s rays; it does not penetrate. If your moisturizer didn’t penetrate the skin, you wouldn’t derive much benefit from it! Since, according to this school of thought, one can’t combine the two in one formula, you’ll need to use separate SPF and moisturizer. Using a sun screen on a daily basis is the best way to protect yourself from skin cancer, aging, spotting, and discolorations. If used properly, you will look younger longer! And that, after all, is what everyone wants. Victoria Jones has been a licensed esthetician 9 years, 8 of which she has spent on staff at Scott Miller – a salon, spa, and store in Rochester, NY (http://www.scottmillerstyle.com). Her areas of expertise are facials, skin care, and waxing.
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