Sunscreen and Your Skin
Along with summer comes the promise of sun, fun and freedom – oh yea, and sunburns. Our 20-something skin may not show it now, but in just a few years, that lively tan will turn into wrinkles, sunspots and leathery skin (not to mention potential skin cancer). Sunscreen is essential to preserving our youth, but just like any product, there are a lot of choices and a lot to consider. Here’s everything you need to know to choose the best sunscreen for your skin type:
Sensitive skin: If you’re anything like me, you burn at the drop of a hat and it’s a rarity to have a completely even skin tone. Whether it’s allergies, acne, or rosacea, sometimes skin is just downright uncooperative. When it comes to sunscreen, avoid fragrance and greasy texture. You could opt for a drug store brand or pay a little more for a more specialized option. If you choose the latter, it most likely won’t be necessary to use the more expensive brand anywhere besides your face (plus they tend to come in smaller bottles), so you can buy a cheaper brand like Coppertone or Neutrogena for your body.
***Special note: If you have acne, a lot of treatments increase sun and heat sensitivity, so frequent and consistent coverage is crucial. It is always best to check with your dermatologist to know all precautions associated with a treatment.
Oily/dry skin: For oily skin, greasy sunscreens (like creams and a lot of drug store brands) will make you shine like the top of the Chrysler building. Sunscreens with alcohol may act somewhat like a stringent, but there are also options like face powder with SPF or semi-matte sunscreens like Shiseido. On the other hand, those with dry skin should avoid spray-on sunscreen and should opt instead for sunscreen with moisturizer. Creams and lotions will provide adequate coverage while hydrating any dry spots, giving you summer ready skin.
Fair skin: If you have fair skin, you’ve most likely become an expert on summer skincare. Sun hats, shade, and thick, frequent sunscreen application were staples of your childhood summers, and if you missed an application or two, you felt it down to your soul. Fair skin can sometimes seem paper thin, so sunscreen is absolutely essential during the harsh summer months, especially if you’ll be out in the sun at all. That means settling for nothing less than SPF 30+ and closely monitoring how long you’re out in the sun. But if you truly have fair skin, you probably already knew that.
Darker and/or sun-welcoming skin: Some of us just don’t have to work that hard to take care of our skin – and when I say “us” I don’t mean me. Nonetheless, a healthy, vibrant glow just comes naturally to some people. However, no matter how dark your natural skin tone is, you can still get burned, and prolonged sun damage will still affect your skin later on. SPF 15+ will largely do the trick, as well as makeup infused with sunscreen. Heavy sunscreens can sometimes make darker skin tones look chalky, so go for thinner, creamier sunscreens or sunscreen sprays. I know what you’re thinking, if you use sunscreen, how will you get a tan? If you want to suntan safely, use tanning oil with SPF or avoid the sun altogether and use gradual self-tanner or a spray tan. (Another special note, a tanning bed is NOT better than the sun. You get all the harmful radiation and none of the vitamin D.)
Whatever you choose to do, think about all the over-40 women (Jennifer Aniston, Jennifer Lopez, Cindy Crawford, etc. etc. etc.) who still look fabulous well into the supposed “aging” years. If you don't think sun protection is important, remember that those women always wear sunscreen. Always.
