Kenneth Byrne: Don’t Forget: Protect Your Skin

Originally published as Don’t Forget: Protect Your Skin from the Mario Badescu Skin Care Blog.

There’s no doubt that sun care is paramount to overall skin health and appearance regardless of season; up to 80 percent of the sun’s UV rays can pass through clouds even on the most overcast of days, causing sunburn when you’re not expecting it. With up to 90 percent of all visible signs of aging attributable to sun, it’s clear that cumulative exposure is the number one cause of aging.

And come summer, precautionary measures are especially important. After all: shorter hemlines mean more skin, and more skin means increased vulnerability to too much or unprotected sun exposure. Too much sun leads to:

Oil-Free Broad Spectrum Sun Protection

Premature Aging
- Age spots
- Fine lines
- Wrinkles
- Dryness

Hyperpigmentation
- Sun spots
- Darkening of existing acne marks

Sunburn
- Redness
- Irritation
- Flakiness
- Exacerbation of skin conditions like Eczema, Psoriasis, and Rosacea

The moral of the story? Protect your skin! Keep exposure in moderation at a maximum of 15 minutes. Avoid sun during the peak intensity hours when UV light is strongest (between 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.); reserving outdoor activities for before or after that time frame can actually reduce exposure up to 60 percent. For added preventative measures, plop on a baseball cap or floppy hat and when possible, try to go for breezy, long-sleeved tops to further protect the vulnerable chest and shoulder areas.

And of course, the face. You can’t forget your face! Apply daily broad spectrum protection liberally and regularly throughout the day (if you’re going to be out!) too. We recommend: