Applying sunscreen is no longer reserved for a trip to the beach; any skin-smart woman knows that it should be part of your regular morning routine. This common misconception is the huge mistakes that makes people age poorly with sun spots, wrinkles, leathering, sagging, weathered skin and poor elasticity. But millions of Americans receive a large portion of their sun exposure when they don’t even realize it — especially in their cars. UV exposure is cumulative, and research has proven that skin exposed to sun shining through window glass, even at home or in the office, can over time lead to SIGNIFICANT skin damage. The UV exposure we receive driving a car especially adds up. While the average car windshield has an SPF of about 50, most side windows clock in at just around SPF 16. It’s no wonder that the majority of all skin cancer cases occur on the left side of the body. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial to integrate sunscreen into your daily routine, in the morning and every two hours.
One of the very best product lines for face sunscreens is SkinCeuticals, available at Lotus Skin Care Center & Medi-Spa in Massapequa, NY; (516) 798-0200. SkinCeuticals offers a full range of broad spectrum sunscreens designed for different skin types, conditions and lifestyles in order to shield skin from UV rays. These products don’t leave a white film on the skin, won’t cause breakouts or an overly-shiny face, and can be applied seamlessly over or under makeup. SkinCeuticals broad spectrum sunscreens feature Z-Cote® transparent zinc oxide to help protect skin from UVA rays, in addition to providing the SPF necessary to prevent sunburn and damage caused by UVB radiation. With an option suitable for every skin type, and lifestyle, a SkinCeuticals daily sunscreen provides effective protection from photoaging and skin cancer.
It is important that you choose the right sunscreen for your specific lifestyle. For example, if you are very physically active, Lotus Skin Care Center & Medi-Spa recommends that you use SkinCeuticals’ Sport UV Defense SPF 50. Sport UV Defense SPF 50 is a broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen that is tested under the most extreme athletic conditions and won’t interfere with your workout. Marathon-runner tested and suitable for rigorous sport activities, this oxybenzone-free broad spectrum sunscreen provides photo stable UVA/UVB protection and is proven to feel comfortable on your skin. Enhanced with artemia salina, a plankton extract, this sunscreen increases skin’s resistance to UV and heat stress and protects collagen from UV damage. It is water resistant (for 80 minutes), resists wear off from water, wiping, and rubbing, provides short-term hydration, and is alcohol free, paraben free, oxybenzone-free and non-comedogenic.
If you are someone who would love something sheer with a little tint or just dislikes the white residue of typical white sunblocks, Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 is a crowd pleaser. Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 is an award winning broad spectrum moisturizing cream containing transparent zinc oxide (Z-Cote®) to help protect against the damaging effects of UVA and UVB rays. It feels great on the skin and feels and looks like a great tinted moisturizer. It is ideal for daily use. It is PABA-free, oil-free, and fragrance-free, and ideal for all skin types.
Now you know what to do to protect your face and prevent damage, but what if much damage is already done? The most effective way to reverse the damage is with an Intense Pulse Light (IPL) photodynamic treatment, also known as a Photofacial. Photofacial is a generic term for a skin treatment that uses some kind of light-based technology. Photofacials have a number of different uses, but are mostly used for treating sundamage, brown spots, broken capillaries, and boosting collagen.
The LimeLight Photofacial is a new, non-invasive approach to treating hyperpigmentation, sundamage and age spots. The procedure offers the advantage of improving skin tone and surface imperfections associated with aging and photodamage. The LimeLight Photofacial is ideal for any part of your face, neck and décolleté with skin redness, telangiectasia (tiny veins) or brown spots. Light (low contrast) brown spots, which were previously difficult to resolve, respond very well to treatment. The treatment is not painful, however when the pulse of light is delivered, you will experience a mild pinching or stinging sensation. Some clients have described “a jolting sensation” that lasts a fraction of a second. Gel is used to cool the skin before vascular treatments. One to three treatments are usually sufficient to see results. Additional treatments may be recommended, especially for excessively sun damaged skin. Immediately following treatment, clients are slightly red and report a sunburn-like feeling lasting typically a few hours. Make-up can be applied to cover the redness. During the first week, you can expect the brown spots to temporarily darken. The darkened spots will then flake off and fade. Clients often ask if the spots and redness reappear over time – The answer is no, however it should be noted that new brown spots, telangiectasia and diffused redness may appear with new sun damage; nevertheless they too can be treated. Remember to CONTINUE to apply broad-spectrum sunscreen every day.
So whether your plans are to go to the beach, run errands, go to work or hang around the house, you must adequately shield your skin from the sun every day. The face, neck and hands are the most vulnerable areas, and where you will first begin to see the signs of ageing. Facial sunscreens are specially formulated to protect the delicate skin on your face from the signs of sun-induced ageing. Contact Lotus Skin Care Center & Medi-Spa today for help choosing and purchasing your perfect sunscreen to incorporate with your daily skin care routine.
