Better than Botox

There's an old adage that goes, “Prevention is better than cure”. When it comes to your skin, we say Prevention is better than Botox. No matter your age, taking a preventative approach to your skin care is your BEST BET at having your BEST POSSIBLE SKIN.

Among the most celebrated and reliable skin care ingredients (retinol, vitamin C, and niacinamide, to name the big ones) the # 1 undisputed ingredient for slowing the process of skin aging is an SPF. Full stop.

And of course, there's SPF's big job: dodging skin cancer. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation,  “Regular daily use of SPF 15 sunscreen can reduce your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by about 40%, and lower your melanoma risk by 50%.” 

But back to wrinkles. We hate to have to say it but, here it is: there’s no such thing as a “healthy tan”. Imagine your skin’s aging as a road trip and your destination is aged skin. Every time you get a suntan, you drive a little faster. Honestly, with all the fabulous self-tanning products on the market today, we should all just redirect to a good faux sun-kissed glow.

Mineral vs Chemical Physical (mineral) sunscreen ingredients (including titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) block and scatter the rays before they penetrate your skin. Chemical sunscreen ingredients (like avobenzone and octisalate) absorb UV rays before they can damage your skin. While in theory all skin types can wear both, people with sensitive or oily skin should consider mineral formulas since they aren't absorbed into the skin, potentially causing irritation and clogging pores.

What does SPF mean? SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and the number tells you how long the sun’s UVB rays would take to redden your skin (wearing sunscreen) versus the amount of time without sunscreen. So, if you use an SPF 30 product, it would take you 30 times longer to burn than if you used no sunscreen.

What is Broad Spectrum? There are two types of rays, UVB (cause sunburn) and UVA (cause premature aging). A broad-spectrum sunscreen provides protection against both UVB and UVA. Can you skip it on a cloudy day? No way. Even when it’s cloudy, up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV radiation reaches the earth. 

How much is enough? Everyone is different but the convention is: 1 shot glass for your body and a nickel sized dollop for your face

So go on, have your fun in the sun. With sunscreen, of course. 😎

Read all about our newest sunscreen, Invisible Hero SPF 30, with added blue light and antioxidant protection, plus pore-minimizing niacinamide and hydrating hyaluronic acid. Think of it as your desert island product.