Just how important is wearing an SPF
This is by far my favorite time of year as it is just so beautiful here in Greenwich. The leaves simply can not be any greener, the blossom is beyond perfection, the colors everywhere are breathtaking and the sky creates the most beautiful backdrop. (And more importantly it is my oldest daughter’s birthday week. Happy 15th birthday my beautiful girl) And with all this natural beauty we want to get outside and start to enjoy the wonderful weather.
My Wellness TIp = Don’t forget to wear an SPF!!!!!!!!
There is evidence to prove that if we do not wear a good sunscreen it increases the risk of developing a melanoma or squamous cell carcinoma. In fact, even wearing SPF 15 can lower your chance of developing them by 40-50%.
Not only are we using sunscreens to prevent cancerous cells but we are also wearing them to prevent premature aging such as wrinkles, age spots and sagging skin. So in a society where we are so conscious of being forever young, wearing a good SPF seems like a no brainer. Sadly we were not so aware of the damage that could be done 30 years ago and I am sure if we could reverse time we would all be so much more careful with sun protection. So let’s also educate the younger generation now so that they can learn from our mistakes.
The rule is don’t wait until you go outside. Get into the habit of making your SPF part of your morning skin care routine as even if you do not leave the house the rays can still affect your skin through your windows! Always carry a small bottle with you to top up throughout the day. The recommendation is every two hours if you are outside especially if you are sweating and swimming.
Always apply to anywhere that is exposed. The back of the hands, back of the neck are often forgotten. Where a hat or cover up your skin if you are able but I do try and expose some of my skin for at least 10 minutes everyday to get some vitamin D which is important for a healthy body.
As someone with very fair skin, even when I have applied a sunscreen I can still think back to times when my skin burned and as a result I now get very small precancerous patches on my face. They just feel like little dry areas that won’t go away. I get them easily treated with laser treatment or a cream and I have no scars from the treatments but it is concerning that in my 40’s I am already suffering from some form of sun damage. A precancerous skin patch or lesion does not always turn into cancer but it has the potential to so if you are ever in doubt go and ask a Dermatologist to check it out. It is also important, especially if you see any changes in your skin or to any of your moles, to get a yearly full skin check-up at the Dermatologist.
Let’s not always look at skincare as what we can fix but also what we can prevent. If we make the effort to look after our skin now, then hopefully we will have less issues in the future.
Let me know your thoughts on this topic. Send me a message on rebeccafaceyoga@yahoo.com or via my website. I would love to hear from you!
To find out more about what Face Yoga can do for you please contact me to chat about your skincare needs and how I can help you achieve your goals.
Love Rebecca x
