Summer Skincare
Living in Florida in the summer is hot and humid and we tend to enjoy the outdoors by cooling off by the water. We must remember to protect our largest organ, our skin! After all, too much sun exposure can lead to premature aging and even skin cancer. Choosing a proper sunscreen is essential for our daily activities and maintaining skin health. Below are some helpful tips on choosing a sunscreen to keep you protected followed by a skincare treatment to retain your beautiful glow.
Physical vs. Chemical Sunscreen
Physical Sunscreens contain active mineral ingredients, for example, titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which work by sitting on top of the skin to deflect and scatter damaging UV rays away from the skin. Benefits from a Physical Sunscreen are *suitable for all skin types including sensitive, *works as soon as applied and *is less likely to clog pores.
A chemical sunscreen allows the skin to absorb the sun’s rays. While the skin absorbs the UV rays, the skin converts them into heat and then releases them. They contain one or more of the following active ingredients, oxybenzone, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, homosalate, or octinoxate. Allowing the skin to absorb the light gets the electrons excited which converts the UV lighting into harmless infrared light and emits to their surrounding environment, so it does not reach into the skin. Benefits of a Chemical SPF is *use of less product and *is easier in its application.
When to use a Physical or Chemical sunscreen and what brands should I look for?
A physical sunscreen is going to more organic and suitable for sensitive skin or for someone who is concerned with pigmentation disorders. An excellent Physical SPF is HydraTint Pro Mineral Broad Spectrum SPF 36 by Alastin. The Alastin SPF is a lightweight formula and has a nice tint that creates a beautiful glow on the skin. Another great Physical would be PHYSICAL MATTE UV DEFENSE SPF 50 by SkinCeuticals. This product is tinted sunscreen with an oil-absorbing base that leaves a long-lasting matte finish that is suitable for Oily, Normal, and Combination skin types.
Chemical Sunscreens do require a 10 to 15 minutes set in time to be a more efficient but use less product and are great for anyone who may do a lot of outdoor activity and likes added in ingredients such as peptides or antioxidants. There are 2 excellent Chemical SPF’s by ZO Skin Health, Daily Sheer, and Smart tone. Both sunscreens have ZOX 12 which is enhanced with antioxidants and have 12-hour release in them. Plus, they even protect us from HEV Rays, which are emitted by our computers, cell phones, and tablets.
What type of Facials are best suitable during the summer?
The HydraFacial is a fantastic treatment to have during the summer months. It uncovers a new layer of skin with gentle exfoliation and relaxing resurfacing. Our signature Hydrafacial will not only detoxify the skin by removing impurities but we add in specially formulated boosters to enhance your skincare concerns and LED lighting to reduce fine lines, stimulate circulation and reduce erythema, which is great for all skin types and even safe for someone with Rosacea.
Another treatment that is very beneficial is the ZO Stimulator Peel which is made up of a combination of lactic, citric and salicylic acid plus potent concentrations of other active ingredients to exfoliate the skin while stimulating the growth of collagen and elastin.