We have all been there. Lounging in the sun for too long and going home a red, sore, peeling mess. Tragic indeed. For your skin’s health however, it is literally vital to avoid this level of damage. Fortunately, it is really quite easy to keep your skin healthy over summer once SPF protection and sunscreens become your new best friends. After purchasing these, come back to Impact as we have brought you an essential guide on how how to use these products properly – whether you have a regular routine or not.
Most people will know the harm the sun can do to their skin. It causes ageing and wrinkling and can of course lead to more serious problems in the future. It is therefore crucial to be protected from your the sun: the face is particularly vulnerable due to it’s relative sensitivity and the effects of sun damage are also much more obvious here, so you will want to pay most attention to protecting your face, nose and ears. Using a good sunscreen will protect the skin and diminish worries of irreversible damage. Importantly, you should aim to find a sunscreen with SPF Factors over 30. The higher the SPF, the longer lasting and more effective your sunscreen will be.
“try sunscreens that are mattifying”
If you already have a skincare regime in place, make sure to use sunscreen as the last step of your routine – applying it after moisturiser and before makeup. If you don’t have a routine in place, make sure that SPF becomes your new routine! You won’t regret it. When wearing sunscreen always wash it off before bed. If you can, try double cleansing in the evening. If that sounds like too much effort, just make sure to completely cleanse your skin of the sunscreen, preferably using a foaming facial wash, otherwise breakouts are more likely; plus it feels much more comfortable going to bed with freshly cleansed skin.
For people with oily skin, sun cream is a bit daunting. Often skin can feel heavy or slightly greasy before you’ve even stepped outside. To avoid this, try sunscreens that are mattifying or designed specifically for oily skin. My favourite for oily skin is the Anthelios Anti-Shine SPF 50+, which is mattifying. It goes incredibly well under makeup and is affordable. If you can’t get your hands this sunscreen or have a non-mattifying sunscreen already, do not skip the sunscreen. Feeling oily or greasy for a day is far better than burning and damaging your skin.
If you have normal skin you have a much wider choice in sun protection. My recommendation would be the No7 Protect and Perfect Intense Facial Suncare SPF50+. I’ve used for the past couple of summers with no problems at all. It feels like a moisturiser and goes under makeup like a dream. You can also get a BB Cream version of this, which is preferable to foundation in hot weather and provides sun protection at the same time. It is also incredibly good for sensitive skin and is non-irritating.
If you have dry skin, it is incredibly important to keep your skin hydrated and moisturised. Look for sunscreens that are moisturising. If you spend a long day in the sun always moisturise your skin in the evening after cleansing. Try Avène Ultra Light Hydrating SPF 50+ which is soothing and very hydrating.
Remember, severe sunburn can last a long time, so it is worth layering up with sunscreen. If you feel greasy, there’s no harm in washing your face more frequently throughout the day – so long as you reapply protection!
Molly Barratt.
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Images courtesy of Peter Dutton, via Flickr. License here.
Hi! It might be silly question but I always have problem with skin tone in Summer… can I use Anthelios Anti-Shine SPF 50+ under tonal cream?
Hi Alice! Don’t worry – there’s no such thing as a silly question in the world of skincare!
You should be able to use it under a tonal cream without any issues, provided the tonal cream you use isn’t oil based (as Anthelios Anti-Shine SPF 50+ is water based, but even so it should normally be fine) – you can however buy tonal cream with SPF, which might be the safer option.
That being said, despite being designed for the face, Anthelios Anti-Shine SPF 50+ can be applied to the rest of the body, it is marketed as facial cream due to it being suitable for more sensitive skin (in the same way that eye serum can be used as facial moisturiser) so you could try it out, and if it doesn’t seem to sit correctly then either try it on top of the tonal cream, or use it as a body sunscreen and then seek out a tonal cream with added SPF.
I hope this helps! Feel free to comment again if you’ve found it works or doesn’t and we’ll see if we can recommend other solutions – skincare is annoyingly sometimes a place of trial and error!