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Sun exposure is not good for your skin! It can result in premature aging effects including wrinkles, brown spots, a leathery dry texture, melasma, and development of precancerous actinic keratoses and skin cancers. Avoidance of sun exposure in childhood and early adulthood is critical to help prevent these conditions. It's still not too late to take care of your skin. Many adults are using skin rejuvenation products to help reduce the appearance of photoaging skin changes. Using sun protection is an important part of this regimen. It also helps prevent developing further sun damage.
HOW DO YOU SELECT A SUNSCREEN?
-The SPF, (Sun Protection Factor), is based upon how much extra exposure time your skin can take before it begins to burn. Look for sunscreens with a baseline SPF of 15. Higher SPFs have been shown to be more beneficial to a point. Anything from a 30 to a 45 are relatively similar. Those above 45 have not been shown to provide any extra protection. Make sure your sunscreen provides both UVA and UVB protection. These are the damaging wavelengths of light.
- Many people are allergic to PABA, so I recommend patients purchase a sunscreen that does not contain PABA.
-If you have sensitive skin, look for sunscreens that have "physical blockers" such as micronized zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.
-Acne prone? Look for a sunscreen that says it is oil-free or "noncomedogenic".
-Reapply sunscreens every 2 hours while outdoors. You're sweating it off often without realizing it.
-Water proof sunscreens help provide a continuous base of coverage, but you still need to reapply them after you've gotten out of the water or towel-dried.
-Consider sunscreens in routine cosmetics or moisturizers as the "icing on the cake". They may not stay on as well or be as thoroughly applied as a true sunscreen. It's good to use, but don't rely strictly upon them.
-Wear hats, UV protective glasses and sun protective clothing. Sunscreens alone won't provide complete protection.
I recommend you consider using M.D. Forte's SPF 30 or Cellex-C's SPF 30 or 32 for your best protection. If you're looking for an oil-free sunscreen, then choose the M.D. Forte SPF 20.
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