The Easiest One Step Anti-Aging Secret

What a beautiful week this week! It seems we are all exploding out of our homes and taking care to spend every waking hour we can outside to soak up each and every hard earned drop of sunshine. It just feels so good doesn’t it?! Well, there is definitely something to be said for the benefits of vitamin D, and we Minnesotans are among the first to give testimony to that.

So what does beautiful sunny weather and anti-aging have to do with each other? Well it turns out that sunscreen is the most effective and simplest anti-aging secret there is. The sun brings us so many wonderful things, and a good sunscreen lets you enjoy them while still minimizing or even blocking the sun’s most damaging effects such as leathery looking skin, rough texture, burns, and dark spots. Now that is only what we see. There is also damage happening beneath the skin too; collagen and elastin photo damage lead to wrinkles and a loss of firmness in the skin over time. Why is it a secret when sunscreen has been around for so long? The Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center says only 34% of Americans wear sun protection.

There are a few keys to successful Sunscreen wearing:

1. Make sure to apply 20-30 minutes before you plan on enjoying the sun, and if you are applying under make-up, let the sunscreen dry 5-10 minutes and that you are using a non-greasy formula, especially around the eye area. Burning watery eyes are no fun.

2. Be sure your sunscreen is a minimum of SPF 15 and broad-spectrum protection is specifically stated on the label.

3. Layering make-up with SPF and a sunscreen does not increase your protection. For example, foundation with SPF 30 and sunscreen with SPF 30 does not give you a protection rating of SPF 60—it is still SPF 30. However, you definitely may be giving yourself more thorough coverage so go for the gusto if you are so inclined. It can only help, right?

4. Don’t forget to apply to the forgotten areas of the hands, chest and neck. All the time we spend in the car catches up with these areas too, and those are areas we all see even in winter.

5. Wondering which sunscreens to try? Luckily there are many great choices on the market. It is important to find one that feels comfortable for you to wear, but here are a few of my suggestions to try:

I hope you have a beautiful rest of the week and Memorial weekend, and take advantage of this super fabulous and simple anti-aging secret while soaking up every last drop of this warm sunshine!