Summer Skin Health Guide
There is no shortage of conflicting advice about sunscreen, how to manage hyperpigmentation, prevent premature ageing, and care for the skin in general during the summer, so I’ve prepared some information to help.
Firstly, lets address some basic facts.
We need the sun to regulate our circadian rhythm, produce Vitamin D, and regulate other biochemical processes in the body. In our modern times, Vitamin D deficiency is a problem in most people. Vitamin D helps to prevent certain cancers, including skin cancer. The main source of the sunshine vitamin is…you guessed it…the sun!
Melanin (our skin pigment) is the body’s way of protecting the nucleus of our cells and protecting DNA from becoming damaged. Exposing the skin to sun in small increments at a time at the beginning of spring / summer, helps to slowly build tolerance to UVR (ultra violet radiation) and create melanin (tan). A healthy skin barrier that has been cared for with physiological ingredients does a pretty wonderful job at protecting itself and healing from damage quickly. This means consistently doing your dermaviduals® skincare regimen morning and night.
Sunscreen protects against skin cancer and premature skin ageing.
Mineral or chemical? Natural or synthetic?
Let’s bust the myths once and for all…EVERYTHING IS A CHEMICAL. All matter is made up of chemicals. The only thing that isn’t a chemical is energy as it deals with light, heat, and sound, which are not physical matter. The most important factor in choosing ingredients is not whether they are natural or synthetic, it’s most important if ingredients are recognizable (physiological) to the body. The discernment is in researching which ingredients are helpful and safe, and which ones are harmful to our health and can cause skin problems. Popular ingredient search websites and scanner apps are not a reliable source as they provide little information, are sponsored and paid for by various companies and trusts, and may be producing biased information not based on factual scientific research. The best source to research and study ingredients and discern what is safe is:
https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/
Back to mineral or chemical…
Mineral UV filters scatter and reflect light, provide a low sun protection factor, and are dependent on application which is often not evenly applied or reapplied. They are also less effective in the presence of topical triglycerides. Chemical UV filters penetrate the skin, absorb UV radiation and convert it to head, avoiding radical formation in the skin that damages cells.
Cell damage affects DNA, leading to premature ageing, collagen breakdown, and increases the risk of skin cancer.
Your genetic skin type and ancestry will determine the amount of time you are able to be in the sun before burning without sun protection. Even the slightest hint of pink is a burn.
When deciding on what SPF number to use, there are a few things to consider.
SPF 30 offers 96.7% protection against UV radiation and SPF 50 offers 98%. This has nothing to do with the amount of time the SPF protects you.
I will use myself as an example.
I have a genetic lipid dry skin type, and my ancestral background is German (Bavarian), Welsh, and Scandinavian. I have the MC1R (redhead) gene, which means I am more susceptible to getting a sunburn and my skin cancer risk is high.
At the beginning of the season, my skin starts burning within 10 minutes. This means that if I use a chemical sunscreen with SPF 30, I can stay in the sun for about 5hrs before I reapply. If I use a chemical sunscreen with SPF 50, I can stay in the sun for up to 8hrs. (This is with dermaviduals® sunscreen of course). I have always burned pretty good with any mineral sunscreen within an hour my entire life.
If you burn within 5 minutes without sun protection, you should reapply every 1-2 hours with an SPF 30, and every 3-4 hours with an SPF 50. If you burn within 15-60 minutes without sun protection, you can generally stay in the sun for up to 7 hours with an SPF 30, and up to 10+ hours with an SPF 50.
Another way of understanding this is if you burn within 5 minutes of unprotected sun exposure, you should use SPF 30 if you will be out in the sun for 1-3 hours, and SPF 50 for more than 3 hours, reapplying as necessary if sweating and swimming. If you burn within 15-60 minutes of unprotected sun exposure, you should use SPF 30 if you will be out in the sun for up to 5 hours, and SPF 50 for 8+ hours, reapplying as necessary if sweating and swimming.
If you are swimming or sweating, the general rule of thumb for reapplication is every 2 hours.
About 6 teaspoons is needed to cover the entire body of an average sized adult.
dermaviduals® Day Cream Plus (SPF 30) and Day Cream S (SPF 50), combine DMS skin barrier identical ingredients with chemical sun protection ingredients that are proven to be safe, healthy, and highly effective. They come in a 15ml travel / trial size, and a larger 50ml size.
When should you wear sunscreen?
If you are indoors, it is unnecessary, unless you are right next to a window or in a car getting direct sunlight on your skin for a long period of time. In the northern hemisphere in the winter, it is also unnecessary.
To determine the amount of UVR you might be exposed to:
Consider the time of day. Midday radiation is the highest.
Altitude. The closer you are to the sun, the more exposure to UVR.
Reflective environment. Are you in the water or snow? You are receiving more UVR exposure.
Is it cloudy? UVR radiation is less.
What is your geographical location? What season is it? The earths’ tilt according to where you live will determine how much UVR you are getting. The northern hemisphere receives less UVR than the southern hemisphere.
If you are concerned about hyperpigmentation, you will want to apply SPF during the day and wear sun protective clothing .
What is the best way to heal a sunburn?
With dermaviduals®, we utilize Boswellia Nanoparticles to stop inflammation and collagen degradation from sun damage. This serum also has a positive effect on Actinic Keratosis when used consistently over time.
dermaviduals® Echinacea Extract and Kiwi Seed Oil Nanoparticles do a wonderful job protecting against radical damage produced by the body when exposed to high amounts of UVR.
dermaviduals® D-panthenol helps the skin barrier to heal and repairs cell damage.
A combination of these ingredients mixed in the hydrating and cooling dermaviduals® Base Gel, is a great product to have on hand during the warmer months.
*DISCLAIMER
This information is provided for educational and informational purposes only and does not constitute providing medical advice. The information provided should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or disease, and those seeking personal medical advice should consult with a licensed physician. Always seek the advice of your GP or other qualified health provider regarding a medical condition. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read on SALT OF THE EARTH SKIN’s website, newsletter, or social media. SALT OF THE EARTH SKIN does not make any representations, express or implied, with respect to the information provided herein or to its use.
REFERENCES
https://dermaviduals.de/cms/upload/Publikationen_english/mBF-02-14-Sonnenschutz-engl.pdf
https://dermaviduals.de/cms/upload/Publikationen_english/KP-02-10-Sonnenschutz-engl.pdf
https://dermaviduals.de/english/skin-topics/question-answer/which-sun-protection-factor-spf-is-necessary-for-my-skin.html
https://dermaviduals.de/cms/upload/Publikationen_english/BF-03-20-photodamages.pdf
https://dermaviduals.de/cms/upload/Publikationen_english/KP-3-06-Lichtschaedigung-engl.pdf
https://dermaviduals.de/cms/upload/Publikationen_english/BF-08-15-Sun-protection-questions-engl.pdf
