skincare • selfcare • lifestyle

11.19.2014

Skincare Tip #2

You have probably the heard the old saying it's easier to prevent than it is to correct! Well, it's very true and especially applies to aging skin amongst many other things. The damage we do in our teens can affect the skin years later! Often times you do not see the damage until it is too late and you are stuck with trying to reverse which believe me, it is very hard! Don't get me wrong, you can reverse some signs of aging, but it can be costly. Laser therapy and peels are not cheap and are some of the only methods to reverse deep set hyper pigmentation or wrinkles. Skin care products can be helpful yes but most of the time, they only work at the top most layers of the skin. The damage caused by the sun is truly skin deep, at the dermis layer that is :) 


If you take any advice about skin care it should be this, wear sunscreen! Wear sunscreen everyday! And unless you live underground, wear your sunscreen! I hear so often of people opting out of daily sunscreen because they "don't go outside". Well, I can tell you, you can get exposure to the damaging UV rays sitting inside your house all day long. If you walk by a window, you are exposing the skin to UV rays. I hear this from countless people and especially here in the Northwest where sun is an absent friend. The clouds only filter out about 20% of UV rays! You still expose the skin to about 80% of rays that age the skin and yes, you can get sunburned on a cloudy day! And most cases of skin cancer are caused by incidentals (to and from the car, driving, getting the mail) those little day to day things we do but don't realize we are exposing our skin to the sun. 


I will always recommend that people limit their sun exposure, especially facial sun exposure because it is a healthy habit! Yet, either way, apply a broad spectrum sun screen daily and if you can, reapply at least once! I recommend physical sunscreens because they are the most natural and effective UV blockers. Yes, this will help to prevent skin cancer, but it will also help to keep your skin looking younger. UV exposure breaks down the collagen and elastin (the skin's structure) causing the skin to wrinkle and sag. UV exposure is also the culprit behind those pesky brown spots too! So if you want younger, more even toned skin, wear sunscreen!


The reason I write this tip today is because I am very sad because I hear about so many skin cancer statistics, especially here in Portland, it's a crazy number. There are so many yearly documented cases it would blow your mind. And it can be prevented! My goal is to educate people about their skin in hopes of preventing another case of skin cancer! I just hope that at least one of you out there stumble upon this message and it changes your attitude toward sunscreen. This tip will also keep your skin looking younger and more youthful and who doesn't want that :-)
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