Summer is here! It’s sunny, hot and we are all outdoors more. Here are some easy tips to protect your skin, keeping it healthy but still looking great this season.
Protect Yourself — with sun protection, that is! It goes with out saying: the best way to protect your skin is to use a good sunscreen. But all sunscreens are not created equal. Be certain that the sunscreen you use has a broad spectrum and blocks UVA and UVB rays. And with the ozone layer thinning daily, I personally wear an SPF 30 or higher every day.
Parents do not have to buy a sunscreen for themselves and then one for their kids. Sunscreens designed for kids’ sensitive skin will also work well on adult skin, plus the kids’ sunscreens usually have a higher SPF anyway. Some good ones are Coppertone Continuous Kids Sunblock Spray SPF 50 and Banana Boat Ultra Mist Kids Sunblock Spray SPF 50. The Coppertone sprays on clear; the Banana Boat spays on white so you don’t miss spots and is also tear-free.
Multi-task Protection. We are all busy and in a rush. These multi-tasking sun protectors do several jobs, saving you time from applying product on top of product.
If you are at the beach a lot, Safe Sea Sunblock with Jellyfish Sting Protective Lotion SPF 30+ For Kids not only gives sun protection but also protects against three types of jellyfish and sea lice.
If you are camping or in wooded areas often, try For Kids, Coppertone Bug & Sun Sunscreen SPF 30 with Insect Repellent or Avon’s Skin So Soft Bug Guard Plus IR3535® SPF 30 Sunscreen Lotion. Both are designed for kids and protect against mosquitoes, ticks and other insects, but the Coppertone contains 10 percent Deet while the Avon is Deet-free.
And if you are pregnant, try Belli Pregnancy Anti-Chloasma Facial Sunscreen. This product has an SPF of 25 and protects against chloasma, which are dark brown splotchy areas on the face that occur in 70 percent of pregnant women.
One of the easiest ways to protect your skin daily is to use a moisturizer with a high SPF. For your face, consider Cosmedicine’s Primary Care Multi-Tasking Moisturizer SPF 20, Murad’s Perfecting Day Cream SPF 30, and Juice Beauty’s SPF 30 Tinted Moisturizer. All three moisturize and protect with antioxidants as well as UVA/UVB sun protection. For your body, try Juice Beauty’s Green Apple Antioxidant Body Moisturizer SPF 20, or DDF’s Moisturizing Photo-Age Protection SPF 30.
Fake It, Don’t Bake It. If you insist on looking like a “bronzed babe,” do not bake in the sun. Instead try using a self tanner that also has an SPF. That way, you will get the bronzed look you desire and protect your skin at the same time. Try Neutrogena Summer Glow Daily Moisturizer SPF 20. This product does triple duty! It’s a daily body moisturizer, a self tanner, and protects skin. It is available for fair or medium skin tones. And if you are afraid of looking like a pale face, try Jergens Natural Glow Face Daily Moisturizer SPF 20. This product also does triple duty but is gentle enough for your face and is available for fair or medium skin tones. Be sure to exfoliate really well before using any self tanning products, otherwise you will see brown blotches of dry dead skin (YUCK!).
Another great way to fake it is with makeup — in the summer bronzing powder can be a girl’s best friend! Consider Mommy Makeup’s Mineral Bronze-n-Blush in Nice-n-Natural; it’s a kiss of sun and cheek color in one compact. Or try Mommy Makeup’s Mineral Powder Bronzer in Sunny Days. Both of these products are oil-free, talc-free, and fragrance-free, making them great for sensitive skins.
DEBRA RUBIN-ROBERTS is an award-winning makeup artist, and a New York City mom. After she gave birth to her daughter, she discovered she needed to shorten and simplify her daily beauty routine — leading her to create Mommy Makeup for Chic Moms on-the-go! For more info, www.mommymakeup.com or 1-877-MOMMY-98.
