I love sunscreen! We’ve always known that protecting our skin from the sun is the most important thing we can do for maintaining the health and youth of our skin. But there’s more! According to a recent study in Dermatologic Surgery, sunscreen may actually help to reverse sun damage, too! Amazing, right?
Researchers followed a group of women who were asked to wear sunscreen daily for a year. When the year was up, what they expected to find was the status-quo—no changes to the skin and no advancement in photoaging. What they discovered was a different story! In a blinded assessment, dermatologists discovered that the women who wore sunscreen showed significant improvements to their skin, specifically in texture and pigmentation. In self-assessments, the sunscreen users reported the greatest improvements in crow’s feet and dullness, and nearly 70% reported smoother, firmer, and more evenly toned skin. Incredible, right?
How does sunscreen help?
The study’s researchers speculate that sunscreen simply helps skin cells to focus on doing their job. When the skin is constantly being assaulted by UV rays, it is forced into a fight and repair mode where it expends all its energy putting out fires and mending wounds. When the skin is protected by sunscreen, it frees up skin cells to do what skin cells do best—keeping skin vibrant and healthy.
I didn’t think it was possible to love sunscreen any more than I do, but there you go! Sunscreen should be the most important product in your beauty kit, which brings me to another important point: You should love your sunscreen the way you love your favorite lipstick or hair product. If you don’t love it, you won’t use it.
I
know the importance of finding the perfect sunscreen. You need a balance of light moisture and coverage so you won’t feel greasy or bogged down all day. One of my absolute favorites is Alastin’s Hydratint SPF 36. This all-in-one formula works as a light foundation, sunscreen, and environmental protector with subtle light-reflecting particles for a luminous glow.
For more information on our selection of products and how to protect your skin, call 703.870.3844 or click here to schedule a consultation.
–Kim