Hopefully, by now you have heard how important sunscreen is for the overall health and appearance of your skin. Wearing sunscreen every day is a crucial part of your skincare routine, and without it, you are exposing the sensitive skin on your face to unnecessary damage from sun exposure [1]. We checked in with our very own Michelle Freese who has been with Kate Somerville Skin Experts for 8 years as an esthetician in our Melrose Place Clinic to get her take on the top five benefits of sunscreen use:
Keeps Complexion Even
Using sunscreen on your face helps to keep your complexion even. Sun damage is one of the many causes of uneven skin tones and daily sun cream helps to prevent those effects.
Sun Protection
One of the most obvious and notable benefits of sunscreen is that it protects your skin against the sun’s broad spectrum of harmful UV rays. Sunscreen actually minimizes the penetration of UV rays into the skin and the triggering of a variety of skin disorders. Even the mildest of sunburns [2] can have damaging effects so it is important to protect your skin.
Helps Protect Against The Visible Signs of Premature Aging
We all want youthful, radiant, and healthy looking skin. But overexposure to sunlight can increase the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles [3]. In other words, using sunscreen can help protect against the harmful effects of premature aging or skin aging.
Reduces Risk of Cancer
Fortunately, sunscreen is very effective in reducing the risk of developing a variety of skin cancers, especially melanoma [4]. This type of skin cancer is known to be extremely aggressive and can be life-threatening for many women, particularly those in their 20s. However, you must apply sunscreen daily to see the cumulative protection over the days and months.
Healthy Skin Overall
Michelle stresses to her clients that “skin is healthier overall when you use sunscreen.” Essential proteins in the skin like keratin are protected when sunscreen is applied. These proteins are primarily responsible for keeping the skin smooth and healthy both in appearance and function.
Choosing a Product
Most clients dread the thoughts of wearing sunscreen every day. Many worry that the sunscreen lotions will cause them to break out, make their skin appear oily, and worst of all they will smell like sunscreen all day! Thankfully, skin care products have come a long way and you won’t need to apply oldschool slimy sunscreen every day in order to achieve the great benefits of daily sunscreen use. The type of product you use will depend on the length of time you plan to spend out in the sun and the activities you’ll be doing, but for our purposes, we will focus on sunscreen products that are best for daily use, not a day at the beach.
Unfortunately for most, a normal day does not include extended periods of time out in the sun. That means your daily sun exposure protection probably doesn’t need to be over 35 to 50 SPF, though you will want to find a cream that has broad-spectrum protection to ensure you are protected from all the sun’s harmful rays – we won’t get into the details, but there are a few different types. In addition, you will also want to consider your skin type when selecting a product. Allergy or acne-prone skin will benefit from fragrance- and preservative-free products, while those with dry skin will want to seek out daily moisturizers with sunscreen added.
It is all about finding the right sunscreen products for you, your skin, and your routine. At Kate Somerville, we take sun protection seriously. That’s why we have developed UncompliKated SPF, a fine mist SPF 50 broad spectrum face sunscreen that doubles as a makeup setting spray which reduces shine and provides a matte finish for your face. A light diffusing silicone powder softens the appearance of lines and wrinkles while the SPF works to defend against the sun’s harmful effects of UV rays. If your skin is particularly sensitive, we’ve also developed a mineral face sunscreen that can easily be applied underneath makeup. This formula not only protects against UVA and UVB rays, but also against blue light.
Applying sunscreen daily may seem like an unnecessary step to add to your skincare regimen, especially if you are just going from the car to your office and back again, but it is crucial to maintaining the health of your skin.