June 9, 2009 ~ and now, for the weather ...

Yes, I know, you’re probably tired of hearing it, but it’s my personal mission to educate the masses about sunscreen. From our vantage point on Kelly Avenue, we see (and I don’t mean literally) throngs of people heading for the beach and I can only hope that they’re picking up the vibe I’m sending to wear that sunscreen! That luscious coastal breeze is so deceiving, distracting us into thinking that the sun’s not quite so hot. Don’t be fooled!

At any rate, I’m here to tell you that yes, I agree that we all need a little sun every day, but most of us can get our requirement for Vitamin D from the sun in about 10 minutes but after that, that sunshine is aging us, inside and out. It gets more serious ... although it’s my business to be concerned about the beauty of the skin, I’m much more concerned about the greater damage that can be caused by the sun: damage to our long-term health.

On the lighter side, excessive sun sets off a chain of free radical reactions that derails the immune system, leaving us with a trail of symptoms such as fatigue, dehydration, and damaged (fried) hair and skin which leaves us tired, cranky, and looking a little thrashed. Notice how your hair gets dry and frizzy after a day in the sun? (Not to mention the irritating sunburn.) There is new evidence to suggest that inadequate amounts of Omegas in our diet can reduce our natural resistance to the sun. If your immune system is already taxed, you are likely to become burned more easily.

On the darker side of things, excessive sun can trigger aggressive skin cancers, even in the very young. Skin cancer is the #1 cause of death in women between the ages of 22 and 29. One theory is that the packaging for cosmetic products containing SPF has decreased the sales of dedicated sunscreen products to this age group. According to educators at SkinCeuticals, it would take 2 tablespoons (ok, for the non-culinary inclined, that’s a shot glass full!) of liquid make-up or a moisturizer containing SPF to achieve the protection level stated on the label. That’s 2 tablespoons applied to the neck and face, which is not practical (or possible).

One more thing on combination products … moisturizer molecules need to be smaller to penetrate and be of service. Sunscreen molecules are large. Therefore, it stands to reason that the moisturizer, which represents the costly part of the product, is not able to adequately penetrate the skin and do its job (thereby wasted). It’s generally true that combination products are almost always made of chemical sunscreens (which most likely contain one or more of a scary list of ingredients known to cause damage to DNA) to neutralize UV. These chemicals must penetrate the skin to neutralize UV, which increases redness and heat in the skin, worsening those enlarged red vessels. On the other hand, physical sunscreens, which are made of minerals (zinc and titanium dioxide) lay on top of the skin, and reflect UV and keep damaging heat from penetrating. For these reasons, I almost always recommend a physical (non-chemical) sunscreen, which is non-toxic and keeps harmful chemicals and heat from penetrating the outer layer of the skin.

Sun protection for healthy skin:

1. Cleanse your skin.
2. Moisturize your skin.
3. Apply sunscreen daily.

Sun protection for beautiful* skin:

1. Cleanse your skin with an anti-aging cleanser.
2. Apply an anti-oxidant serum.
3. Apply a moisturizer for your skin type.
4. Apply a physical sunscreen made of zinc oxide or titanium.


*Some of my readers just want healthy skin and don’t really care about beautiful skin, but for those of you who insist on seeing changes in your skin, you must come in to the salon and see our current line-up of cosmeceuticals, those amazing science-based products that can make your skin smoother and more radiant.

This month we’re featuring PRIORI’S AHA line, because I am thrilled with the results that I’ve seen among my clients in the past 12 months. It’s the perfect line if you want to correct ill-behaved skin, seriously hydrate your skin, remove fine lines, or smooth out the texture of your skin. Seriously, I’ve had several clients report that even their husbands noticed the new glow in their skin.

This is a great opportunity to try it for the first time or just stock up, as we are featuring the PRIORI AHA products with our BUY TWO GET THREE special. Buy any two PRIORI AHA products during the month of June and get a third one of equal or lesser value for free. Do the math, it's a great deal.

So get out there and enjoy the summer. Ride your bike. Play volleyball on the beach. Work in the garden. Drink wine on the deck with your friends. But don’t forget, it’s very cool to wear sunscreen.

Chrysann