Being Proactive with your skin care

The most overlooked secret to perfect skin, is avoiding conditions that lead to wrinkling, age spots, saggy skin and in general all around skin damage. The major culprit is exposure to the Sun. Dermatologists the world over are unanimous in the fact that chronic sun exposure leads to a wide array of skin care problems. The Sun’s damaging ultraviolet rays wreak havoc on our skin producing photo aging, which depletes skin of its moisture and promotes the production of free radicals that reduce collagen which in turn create a wide variety of skin issues. Prevention by way of avoiding sun exposure is the best way to protect your skin. But if you have to be exposed to the sun, then using the correct sunblock is imperative.

We use the word “correct” because there are many products in the market that do not have the essential ingredients to provide maximum protection. Generally, the higher the SPF the more protection from the suns cancer causing UVB rays you will have. Having a high SPF in itself is not enough. Make sure that the product you are using has Zinc Oxide. Zinc Oxide shields the skin specifically from the suns UV rays. Also, products with Titanium oxide, avobenzone, or ecamsule yield optimal results. Over exposure to UV rays is what causes the redness of a sunburn and over time the thickening of the skin’s texture. It also contributes to the development of skin cancer and a wide array of different types of skin spots. Generally speaking, profound effects of sun exposure do not begin to appear until later in our lives.

This is the time that we all seek skin care treatments to address the long term damage to our skin from repeated unprotected sun exposure. Skin care creams and treatments can only do so much. This is why prevention is the best option to perfect healthy skin.