How to Protect Your Skin From Damage

Those UV rays sure are sneaky! Even if you’re great about putting on sunscreen, there may be gaps in your sun protection strategy. The sun’s rays and other environmental factors can still damage your skin on cloudy days, or even when you’re driving to work. Sun damage often accumulates in times where we least suspect it. Damaged skin cells from too much sun exposure can make your complexion look tired and add years to your appearance. But sun exposure also means you’re risking skin cancer and other health concerns.

Here are some useful tips to make sure you’re covered all summer long!

Why protect your skin from the sun?

Protecting your skin is important for your safety and for a beautiful, healthy aesthetic. Sun damage shows up slowly, and many of us don’t realize what’s happening until we’re well aware of the signs of damage on our skin. Sun damage can show up in a number of ways, including:

• Discolouration and sun spots
• Wrinkles, lines, and creases in the skin
• Age spots
• Benign growths on the skin
• Freckles

What can you do to protect your skin?

Choose your products wisely

You’ll want to use a sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection that protects you from UVA and UVB rays. Choose a product with an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) of 30 or more, for the ultimate coverage. 

Reapply regularly

If you’re sweating, swimming, or exercising, you’ll want to reapply often. Normalize putting on sunscreen as regular as brushing your teeth or having your morning cup of coffee. Keep a bottle of sunscreen at work, in the car, and by the door at home so you’re reminded to lather up.

 

Hydrate

Get enough liquids and you’ll be protecting your skin and beautifying it at the same time! Staying well hydrated keeps your skin from flaking or drying out, and helps keep you feeling your best while you’re spending time in the sun too. If you’re not great at remembering to drink water, try making an iced herbal tea, having a healthy soup in the evening, or enjoying a bit of fruit juice in a big cup of sparkling water.

Cover up

Covering up can be cute! Lightweight fabrics like linen or silk can make for a dreamy summer look without compromising on style. Covering your arms or legs adds an extra layer of protection from the sun.

Strategize

If you’re spending time at the beach or heading out for a run, try to avoid times when the sun is the most intense, during 10am and 2pm or so. Keep sunscreen in your car so you’re not accumulating damage on the drive to work or while you’re doing errands.

 

Protect your eyes

The skin around our eyes is extremely delicate, and benefits from extra protection. Choose good sunglasses that filter UV light effectively and throw on a hat too to protect your scalp.

Do you have age spots from the sun? Explore our solutions for age spots to see what solutions are right for you.