Did you know May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month? With beach/pool season around the corner it seems fitting to bring awareness to such a relevant topic. Sunscreen is a must all year 'round but when the weather dials up a notch it's essential to get your hands on effective protection.
One of my favorite skin care lines also happens to carry one of my favorite sunscreens: Skinceuticals
The brand has an assortment of SPF treats that don't feel greasy and minimize that trademark "whitening" effect commonly found in other sunscreens. Many cosmetics and skin creams incorporate SPF's these days, but Skinceuticals believes in separating the two elements because combined SPF products reduce the effectiveness of sun protection. With that philosophy they do their best to provide a sunscreen for every skin need.
The Skinceuticals sunscreen products include:
-Physical UV Defense SPF 30 (great for sensitive skin and post-treatment patients)
-Daily Sun Defense SPF 20 (great for use under daily makeup)
-Ultimate UV Defense SPF 30 (ideal for high-altitude climates and use on all skin types)
-Sport UV Defense SPF 45 (ideal for use during high-energy exercise)
-Sheer Physical UV Defense SPF 50 (silky formula with a mattifying texture)
-Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50 (contains a sheer filmless tint that adapts to all skin tones)
I love their Physical Fusion UV Defense SPF 50. The sheer, tinted formula is great to use under makeup.
In honor of National Skin Cancer Awareness Month Skinceuticals is teaming up with the Melanoma Research Alliance (MRA). The brand is also spreading the word on their Facebook page by asking users to post videos or written testimonials on how Melanoma has affected them or someone they know.
For the month of May, Skinceuticals will donate $20 to the MRA for every video uploaded and $2 for every post. The five most inspirational videos each day will also receive a free full-size Physical Fusion UV Defense.
Follow the brand on Facebook for details, after following me, of course!
Happy summer people! It's officially official, summer is here and we can finally all bask in the hot, sticky weather and enjoy plenty of icy beverages and grilled yumminess. Now that it's socially acceptable to break out your head to tow white ensembles and frolic around in itty-bitty swimwear, it's a good time to chat about your number one accessory for the season: your skin.
Properly protecting your skin from the sun is the best piece of advice any doctor or beauty professional can give you to help keep your skin looking youthful and healthy. There are so many misconceptions about when and who should be wearing sunscreen and what the actual effects of prolonged sun exposure are.
Myths: People with darker skin tones don't need to wear as much sunscreen and are less susceptible to skin cancer; you only need to wear sunscreen when you're lying out by the pool or on the beach; you don't need sun protection when it's cloudy out. Between all the questions we all have about skincare in the sun and what products work best, I thought it would be a good time to enlist professional help.
I enlisted the help of dermatologist, Dr. Heather Woolerly-Lloyd, an acclaimed and renowned doctor, who is frequently quoted in various medical journals and beauty magazines (she was recently featured on Oprah.com). She’s also the former Director of Ethnic Skin Care at The University of Miami and has focused especially on developing effective treatments for cosmetic concerns related to skin of color including blemishes, brown patches, uneven skin tone, and hyperpigmentation. I asked her all my burning skincare questions (best sunscreens, SPF, sun protection under makeup, etc). Here’s what she had to say:
Q: What are your top 5 favorite sunscreens? What makes them good for women (not greasy, looks good under makeup, not too smelly) and how often should you apply it?
A: For everyday use-just apply in the morning. It is optional to reapply in the afternoon. For outdoor use (i.e. hiking or beach) reapply every 2 hours.
1.Aveeno Positively Radiant- it’s a lightweight moisturizer with sunscreen and also contains soy to even out skin tone.
2.Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry Touch-it’s great for outdoor use and has excellent broad-spectrum coverage when you don’t want to get any sun.
Q: Should you only use products with Helioplex? What is Helioplex protection?
A: Helioplex is a complex that provides long term UVA coverage. Most sunscreens run out of UVA coverage in 2 hours. This provides long term UVA coverage. Helioplex is great for people with melasma because their condition gets worse with any sun exposure.Every sunscreen has its benefits (see my list above) so it really depends on your needs whether you should use helioplex. I recommend it for people who have melasma or people with extreme sun sensitivity. Also mexoryl, the ingredient in Antehelios, offers long term UVA coverage.
Q: Many women don't want to wear sunscreen under makeup because it looks oily, it smells and they are going to be sitting in an office all day. How should one properly apply it and what products avoid these issues?
A: All of the sunscreens that I listed above can be used easily under makeup. But for people who don’t want to apply lotions, you can always use a mineral makeup (like Colorscience) that has sunscreen in it.
Q: I seem to break out when I use sunblock. Why is that and what can I do to prevent that?
A: You could be allergic to one of the ingredients in sunscreen. Sunscreen allergies can cause little red bumps, redness, stinging or itching. If this is the case, then you need to switch to physical blockers such as Vanicream Sensitive Skin. The most common sunscreen allergies in chemical sunscreens are to the ingredients such as avobenzone and oxybenzone so you could also look for sunscreens that don’t have these ingredients.
The other option is that you have acne, and the oils in the sunscreens cause you to get pimples. Then I would suggest the La Roche Posay Antehelios 60 Ultralight Sunscreen Fluid, which is extremely lightweight and does not cause acne.
Q: What makeup brands with SPF do you like? What are your opinion on makeup with SPF?
A: I like the mineral makeups with SPF such as Colorscience. These are great for people who don’t like to apply sunscreen lotions.
Q: Some skin creams have an SPF in them. Do you recommend these or do you think it's important to put on sunscreen on separately?
A: I highly recommend moisturizers with sunscreen for everyday use. They are easy and convenient. For people with melasma or extreme sun sensitivity I recommend a separate sunscreen.
Q: The biggest issue I notice with mineral makeup (that has natural SPF protection) is it makes my skin look chalky and white because of the zinc. Are there any products you like that don't have this issue for women with darker skin tones?
A: This is an ongoing issue and I don’t think anyone has completely solved this problem yet.
Q: People with dark skin tend to have bad under eye circles. Why and how do you prevent this?
A: Sometimes daily sunscreen use can help to prevent dark circles from getting worse with time. For many people, dark circles are hereditary. But I do recommend skin brighteners that can be used in the sensitive skin under the eyes such as Vivite. Also antioxidants like Replenix Infusion Eye Repair Serum with green tea have worked for some of my patients.
Q: There's a common belief/misconception that if you have darker skin you don't need to wear sunblock because they’re less susceptible to skin cancer. What's the truth?
People with dark skin do have a lower risk of skin cancer but still need to wear sunscreen. First of all, I have African American patients that have gotten skin cancer on the face so it can happen (especially for people who are outside a lot with sports like tennis and swimming). As a separate issue, most darker skinned patients complain of uneven skin tone and hyperpigmentation and sunscreen is absolutely essential to prevent this.
Q: The biggest issue I want to avoid now is wrinkles. How important is it to wear sunscreen to reduce wrinkles, fine lines and age spots?
A: Extremely important. 80% of aging and wrinkles is due to external causes such as UV radiation, pollution, and smoking, (about 20% is genetic), so sunscreen is your first defense.
Q: What sun exposed areas do most people tend to forget about that end up showing signs of aging most quickly?
The hands and chest. I always tell my patients not to forget sunscreen on the chest, neck and hands. Also, it’s important to apply anti-aging creams there too.
If you're like me Allure Magazine is your beauty encyclopedia and Bible all in one. I recently came across some amazingly useful beauty tips to prevent us from looking 10 years older on the magazine's website that I had to share. Allure always has insightful beauty tips and is one of the best sources to answer any of your beauty queries. If you don't have the time to scour through the website or magazine, fear not! I'm here to do it for you! Check out their tips:
Tip 1. Foundation Overload
Don't pile on your foundation or let it sink in. Too much foundation exaggerates fine lines and wrinkles. After putting on your foundation with a brush, take a damp sponge and press it all over your face to remove excess foundation that's sunk into your lines.
Tip 2. Don't forgot your liner
Allure experts remind us that as we age our eyes droop at the outer corners. Liner on your top lid will magically create a lifted, alert look. To make your eyes look even more bright and refreshed looking curl your lashes and apply a few coats of mascara.
Tip 3: Exfoliating is a must Dead skin cells makes your complexion look dull. By exfoliating regularly you'll be able to slough off unwanted layers and look amazingly healthy. Allure also recommends using an at-home glycolic peel like Clinique Turnaroud Radiance Peel).
Tip 4: Wear the right lip shade. Allure recommends finding a lip shade without a heavy metallic finish for ladies over 40. For the more mature lipstick wearer, Allure thinks a color with a sheen not a heavy shimmer best compliments the skin. Allure likes Revlon Super Lustrous Lipgloss or Estee Lauder Signature Lipstick for a plumped up look.
Tip 5: Hands are key to youth! Your hands reveals your age in an instant. Why put in all the effort on your face and not take care on your precious hands. I knew someone my age who had the wrinkliest hands but no wrinkles anywhere else. Weird! Buff your hands using a microdermabrasion product like Rodan and Fields Enhancements Micro-Dermabrasion Paste. And don't forget to use a hand cream with SPF like Neutrogena Age Shield Hand Cream SPF 30 with Helioplex.
Tip 6: Use sunscreen!
This is important people! Never forget! Whether it's sunny or not, use sunscreen religiously! Allure says nearly all wrinkles and fine lines are due to sun exposure. To avoid looking all old and craggely, just lather up with a great sunscreen Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock SPF 30.
To find out other amazingly useful tips by Allure click here.
Thanks Allure for your fantastic tips and recommendations!
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Did you know May is National Skin Cancer Awareness Month? With beach/pool season around the corner it seems fitting to bring awareness to such a relevant topic. Sunscreen is a must all year 'round but when the weather dials up a notch it's essential to get your hands on effective protection. 
The Skinceuticals sunscreen products include: 
