The best anti-ageing product is the humble sunscreen. Apply multiple times a day for the best results.
Of all the items to pack in your bag for your summer holiday, sunscreen is one of the most important. No matter which destination you’re headed for – beach, lake, or mountain – you need to protect your skin from the sun, especially in New Zealand with our depleted ozone hole which means there’s no filter between us and UV light.
We might not be talking about the ozone hole as much, but NIWA* reports that it is still a concern, and it did in fact appear earlier this year than previously and is likely to be around longer lasting into the summer months. This is due to the January 2022 eruption of the Tongan volcano Hunga-Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai. The extra water vapor from the volcano took 18 months to spread to the Antarctic but is now having an effect. Water vapor is a greenhouse gas. The best thing you can do is check the UV index daily and ensure you cover up, block up or stay indoors when it’s at its highest.
Block Up
With our disastrously high rates of skin cancer, a statistic we unfortunately lead the world in, the need for covering skin is so important. Even if you’re just heading out for a brief period you still need to put block on.
“In the clinic we are dealing with all sorts of skin changes as a result of exposure to sun,” explains Dr Ellen Selkon from Clinic42. ‘’We have clients presenting with lots of pigmentation, basal cell carcinomas, and squamous cell cancers. We diagnose melanoma as well. But aside from this we also see poor quality of skin with solar elastosis – real wrinkly tough, sun damaged skin. When it’s this bad it’s irreversible.”
There are treatments to improve skin quality and reverse minor sun damage. “Some cosmeceuticals help with pigment changes and some injectables will hydrate skin and create collagen growth, but it is an uphill battle, and you have to be diligent and work at it. The best thing you can do is protect your skin from a young age (so remind your kids and grandkids). It’s never too late to start using sunscreen.”
Dr Selkon recommends a barrier sunscreen – with zinc and zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. “Some formulations can leave a whiteish tint on skin but there are many that don’t with newer zinc formulations drying beautifully. We still don’t know enough about chemical blockers; it really comes down to personal preference.”…
To read the full article on the Good Magazine website follow the link below.
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