spf

Do we really know how to protect our skin? SPFs have never been higher, but neither has the rate of skin cancer. According to Cancer Research UK, over 15,400 people develop malignant melanoma each year, compared with around 1800 in the mid-1970s. SPFs are now available in excess of 60, so why aren’t they protecting us?

According to Cancer Research 86% of skin cancer cases were preventable.

Sun Creams – saviours vs sinners.

Despite using very high SPFs, the numbering system can be misleading. It’s logical to assume that high level SPFs provide twice the protection, but they only block a marginal amount of more rays (SPF 15 blocks 93%) and contain a much greater level of potentially harmful chemicals. High SPFs give a false sense of security, which means people reapply them less frequently and spend longer in the sun. Another contributing factor to the rise of skin cancer is that people don’t apply enough, particularly if the SPF is high. The advice is to cover the skin in a ‘shot and a half’ but in a study published by the journal JAMA Dermatology, only 55% correctly identified the amount required.

Free radical damage

Research has shown that high SPFs can be harmful when left on the skin. Chemical sunscreens are only effective for two-three hours after application. They absorb UV rays during this time, but once they stop working they turn into free radicals which react with DNA cells, increasing the visible signs of ageing and the risk of skin cancer. It’s therefore important to keep reapplying regularly.

Stronger creams contain greater concentrations of sunscreen agents which themselves can be converted into free radicals by exposure to UV ray.

It’s important to remember that SPF only indicates protection from UVB rays, which cause burning, and not UVA which cause photo-ageing so using a broad spectrum cream which protectors against both is key.

A second line of defence

If you want to achieve a superior protection again the sun, antioxidants need to be incorporated into your skincare regime. They mop up free radicals generated into the skin from UV exposure, minimising the damaging effects they have on DNA. You also need to apply an antioxidant sunscreen dependent on your skin type. Dr Clay, Beauty Fresh, encourages you to also take supplement form to protect the skin over the whole body: Advanced Nutrition Programme Skin Antioxidant contains a broad spectrum of antioxidants that have proven benefits with regards to UV radiation. Daily use is essential. Studies indicate that even on cloudy dates 80% of radiation from UVA rays breaks through.

Powerful protection boost

Given its impeccable skin nourishing credentials, it’s no surprise that vitamin A helps defend against UV damage. The most powerful sun-protective molecule is the retinyl palmitate form of vitamin A, which in adequate doses, can have a photoprotective effect of SPF20 and gives additional protection against UVA, says Dr Fernandes, Advanced Nutrition Programme. As well as applying topically, it should be taken in supplement form. By using a combination of Vitamin A and Antioxidants, it’s possible to safely expose skin to the sun for no longer than 20 minutes without sunscreen, in order to synthesize vitamin D, which is vital for healthy skin as well as preventing conditions such as osteoporosis and even cancer.

Daily Defence & Damage Limitation – A Guide to Perfect Skin

Sometimes you just can’t win. When temperatures take a tumble, our natural instinct is to hunker down with a mug of something warm and comforting, but as the heating dial goes up, skin moisture levels go down.

Equally, the minute we venture outside our skin is assaulted by blasts of wintry air, which can be just as drying.

Luckily help is at hand. Beauty Fresh is here to help keep your skin hydrated and healthy as winter approaches. Even if you can’t quite hang on to your tan, your radiant glow will be the perfect accessory to complement your winter wardrobe.

Damage limitation – Care about Skin Care

Before preparing your skin for the delightful onslaught of central heating, frigid air, freezing cold rain and bone shaking icy blasts, it’s advisable to address any damage you may have sustained over the summer months. Have you spent many a happy moment soaking up the rays on a sun-baked beach? What has all that UV exposure done to your skin? Even people who religiously slather themselves in bucket loads of sun cream may still experience negative effects such as dryness, or reactions to the sunscreen itself if they used one with a high chemical content. Underlying pigmentation issues often rear their heads as summer draws to a close, with brown patches and uneven skintone becoming more obvious.

Beauty Fresh recommends you to tackle these problems with Advanced Nutrition Programme Skincare Ultimate, which contains Pine Bark to reduce uneven skintone.

Fortify your fortress

A key reason for skin becoming dryer in winter is that ceramide levels drop. These make up 50% of the lipid layer in the protective stratum corneum, think of them as part of the mortar that holds skin cells together. They are responsible for ‘waterproofing’ skin by preventing Trans Epidermal Water Loss (TEWL), while creating a fortress to stop external aggressors such as pollutants and bacteria penetrating the lower layers.

Do you live in a busy city? Ceramides are part of their go-to solution for protecting skin from the pore-clogging grit and grime lurking in urban atmospheres.

Unfortunately, just as we need them most – in the throes of harsh, wintry conditions – ceramide levels start to plummet. This is partly down to changes to the skin’s pH and the constant switching from warm to cold environments, so replenishing them topically and orally becomes even more important.

High and Dry

The dryer the air, the dryer the skin. Admittedly, the air might not feel particularly dry when you’re caught in a torrential downpour minus a brolly, but the atmospheric humidity is actually far lower than in the summer months. This, combined with our beloved central heating and even our car heaters, can quickly increase Trans Epidermal Water Loss leading to tight, itchy, cracked skin.

Tackling parched winter complexions calls for two lines of attack: preventing skin from drying out in the first place, and rehydrating it if it does. Beauty Fresh recommends you to take some simple measures at home to ward off the effects of your cosy central heating. Investing in a humidifier or placing bowls of water on top of radiators will help to keep the air moist, while limiting shower time and using warm, rather than hot, water will stop skin drying out so quickly (your hair will thank you too).

When prevention tactics don’t work and skin is doing a good impression of the Sahara, it’s tempting to eschew summer’s lightweight formulations in favour of their heavier, richer cousins.

Step away from the gloop. Environ® founder Dr Des Fernandes warns against smothering skin in excessively rich formulations because it can deplete its Natural Moisturising Factors (NMFs), which means that it starts relying on the excessive ‘artificial’ moisture provided by the creams rather than learning to moisturise itself.

“The balance of NMFs in the skin is upset when people use rich creamy products”, says Dr Des. “People love them and one clue to their surreptitious and nefarious effects comes from when they stop using these creams. They immediately complain of dry skin. What they don’t realise is that the reason their skin becomes dry is not because of the new less-oily product but because their skin is virtually depleted of NMFs and their stratum corneum is incapable of holding in the water.

All because the skin is under the misapprehension that moisture levels are adequate”. Far better to use lighter, vitamin A rich products which normalise the skin’s own moisture production, along with hyaluronic acid and ceramides for an extra anti-ageing hydration boost.

You might be tempted to slough away dull winter skin, but exfoliation can also deplete NMF’s, as well as damaging the protective stratum corneum. The good news is that if you follow a tailor made skincare regime rich in the right ingredients, you won’t need to.

The right kind of protection

It may sound counter intuitive, but protecting skin against the sun is still important after we kiss goodbye to summer. Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the need to wear sunscreen all year round, but it’s not quite as simple as that. SPFs only protect against UVB rays, which cause burning, and these aren’t actually present in the UK from May to March. Therefore, Beauty Fresh is recommending you to be wearing a sunscreen that offers UVA protection. These rays don’t burn, but they can reach skin even on murky, overcast days and cause free radical damage which may only become apparent years later.

Not all sun creams or foundations offer UVA protection, so be sure to check the label, and don’t forget to reapply throughout the day when possible.

Adding a hefty dose of antioxidants, orally and topically, will provide a second line of defence by neutralising free radicals generated by UV rays and blue light.

Arm your army

When we’re healthy on the inside, it’s reflected in our skin. The opposite is also true, ever noticed your skin looking dull when you’re battling a hideous case of the flu? Making sure your clients are supporting their immune system is key to keeping their post-holiday glow.

Apart from eating a healthy diet full of fruit and vegetables, supplementing with vitamin C and Zinc will give your internal army a boost. Around 80% of the immune system is found in the gut, so probiotics are essential for making sure there’s enough beneficial bacteria to ward off persistent winter bugs. D

on’t forget that the skin itself is an active immune organ, it encounters all manner of toxins and pathogens on a daily basis which it actively fights in order to stop them entering the body.

Making sure it’s properly nourished will help it to do its job.

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* Ni, Z et al Phytotherapy Research 2002