How to Protect Your Skin From the Sun

What I’ve learned about skin care since I started working in beauty industry?

First rule for a glowing young skin is DRINK WATER and protect your skin from the sun by using the (holy!) SPF CREAMS.

Especially during summer! But if you’re living in a sunny location all year long like I do, sunscreen is required every single day. French Riviera is well know for its amazing weather and also for the powerful sun rays that make everyone so happy.

Theoretically, SPF 30 can filter 97% of UVB rays for two hours. A higher SPF will block multiple UVB rays, but no protective cream will provide 100% protection.

UVA rays penetrate deep into the dermis, the skin’s thickest layer. Unprotected exposure can lead to premature skin aging and wrinkling (photoaging), and suppression of the immune system. UVB rays will usually burn the superficial layers of your skin. It plays a key role in the development of skin cancer. (Read more here: Coola, American Academy of Dermatology )

From inside the Advanced Skin Clinic Monaco

Amazingly talented and dedicated esthetician, Stephanie Cubeddu-Burns, will guide us on finding the best ways and products to protect our skin from sun rays. Thanks to her my skin is spot-free and glowing now! Continue reading to find out more.

“When I think of my French Riviera I think of palm trees, clear blue sea, glorious weather and star studded events. The lifestyle for the most part is relaxed yet exciting and there is always the promise of a great ski season on the alps, or the warmth of the Riviera summer just around the corner. This (as most things do) got me thinking about the effects living on the Riviera has on our skin.

Are we doing enough to prevent the brown leather bag look that is all to evident as I glance the sea of sun worshipers along the glittering shore line. We may be able to forgive the older generations for this barbaric act and put it down to lack of sun safe education years before. But now we know better, so there shouldn’t be any excuses! Yet every week I’m faced with another case of sun damage and uneven skin tone. Amazingly skin cancer is on the rise! We live in a place where the sun shines 211 days of the year, and we wouldn’t have it another way, but it comes with a price!”

“ Do you wear SPF? is a question I ask every single client that walks through my door. The short answer is usually ‘Yes when I go out in the summer’ but this is not enough.”

As the sun shines strongly through my window this cool January afternoon I am reminded that its forgivable to think that inside is a safe zone, but UVA rays can absolutely penetrate glass, if there is sunlight shining on your skin, then you are getting exposure. There is a lot of evidence showing that ongoing exposure to low level UVA rays leads to skin ageing and skin cancers.

It bothered me when researching this, as we could be neglecting to protect the skin of our most precious and vulnerable members of the family, our delicate skinned children and babies.
How many of us think to apply sun screen to our little ones before chauffeuring them around?” says Stephanie Cubeddu-Burns, specialised esthetician.

“I always recommend Environ’s RAD spf15 as the antioxidants also amp up the natural Sun Protection Factor and the formula suits almost every skin type I have come across.” Read more details on Stephanie’s Advanced Skin Clinic Monaco website.

What’s your favourite sunscreen? Leave your comments below. xx

Photo credits: Liz Nehdi, Vogue Magazine, Cosmopolitan, Pinterest