Skin, Sun & Summer Fun

The summer solstice may not occur until June 21, but the Texas heat wave has been full force for several weeks. Many of you are vacationing at the beach or trying to keep cool at the pool. Some of you may be working in the garden, harvest beautiful tomatoes and vegetables or you may be picnicking at the lake. It’s important to be sun savvy when you are out and about.

A week ago, I asked my Facebook friends what their favorite sunless tanner and sunscreen/sun blocks were. Now I’d like to share my favorites with you as well as some other tips for protecting your skin against skin cancer and WRINKLES!

The most obvious tip is to avoid the sun as much as possible. The sun’s rays are strongest between 10 am and 4 pm. Get yard work done early and stay inside from 10-4. If you must be outside, find a shady area or wear a big hat like Julia Roberts in Pretty Woman. They are chic and always in style! Once the sun starts to go down, take a dip in the pool. I often joke that I prefer to “moon tan.” It beats looking like a lobster!

Being a fair skinned redhead, sunscreen is my best friend year round. I wear it every single day (and you should too,) even if the only exposure I get is in the car and walking to and from work. SPF 15-30 is sufficient for those days. Look for a broad spectrum sunscreen. It will protect against UVA and UVB rays.

For the body, my favorite is Skinceutical’s Daily Sun Defense. It’s a bit pricey but totally worth it to me. A more inexpensive option is Neutrogena Dry Touch sunscreen. Sunscreen needs to be applied 20-30 minutes before going into the sun and you must use about 1 ounce to properly protect the entire body. That’s a heaping palm full. Don’t forget about the neck and ears! Remember to reapply hourly.

Finding a sunscreen for the face can be a little more challenging. My criteria for a good facial sunscreen are it must be:

-Non greasy and won’t clog pores

-Doesn’t make me itchy when I sweat

-Looks good under makeup

-Easy to apply

The holy grail of facial sunscreens for me is from Colorescience which is typically sold in by dermatologists or estheticians. It’s a powder sunscreen that you buff on much like mineral makeup. It comes in a little orb or as a brush (with product inside) and can be easily carried in your purse for touch ups. There are a few different colors to choose from as well as a bronzer. Did I mention it is WATERPROOF!?

I’ve also heard wonderful things about Peter Thomas Roth’s Instant Mineral SPF 30. It’s a powder sunscreen that is packaged similar to the Colorescience sunscreen. I will be trying it next. Peter Thomas Roth is sold at Sephora and if you know me, you know I heart Sephora. 

All this talk about protecting the skin may leave you feeling a little pasty. But don’t worry- the world of sunless tanning has come a long way and there are many wonderful products on the market. St. Tropez is definitely the leader in their industry. With lotions, gels, sprays and more, there is a wide array of tanners to choose from. My favorite is the St. Tropez mousse. It goes on evenly and leaves a beautiful brown color, believable even on this fair-skinned gal.

Clarins and L’Oreal Sublime Bronze are close runners ups in the sunless tanner division.

Sometimes sunless tans turn out a little blotchy or sometimes I just forget to put sunless tanner on before a big event. When I need color FAST, I always use Sally Hansen’s Airbrush Legs. The stuff rocks! It’s like a spray on makeup for your legs. You’ll never need to wear panty hose again. It covers unsightly spider veins like a dream and leaves you with smooth, sexy legs. Who doesn’t want smooth, sexy legs?!

Now that you have the inside scoop on sun protection and sunless tanner it will be easy to take care of your skin. You’ll enjoy the benefits of gorgeous skin free of wrinkles and sun spots. It is possible to have glowing bronze body through use of sunless tanner. I encourage you to try the products I’ve recommended and continue searching until you find your own favorites.