Summertime skin care is a tricky road to navigate – not only should your summer regimen keep your skin hydrated, smooth and supple, but it should also offer a higher degree of protection from photo-damage. But while many of us may think that summer vacations from our jobs justify vacations from our daily skin routine, it is imperative that we still practice good skin care if we are to avoid sun-damage and decrease risks of sun-related disorders. Below we’ve highlighted simple but highly-effective steps towards preparing your skin for a blissful, healthy summer.
Continue Professional Treatments
While facial masks and peels have gained considerable popularity in recent years, many people are unsure which procedure will be more beneficial during the summer months. The answer depends primarily on your skin type, amount of daily sun exposure, where you live, and what you need your summer routine to accomplish (protect against photo-damage, keep skin, hydrated, etc.).
Peels are an excellent skin care option, as they can be specialized to treat a variety of ailments, such as photo-damage, acne, and precancerous lesions, while encouraging new skin cell growth. (The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology). Peels are usually designated as superficial, medium, and deep strength. Superficial peels are suitable for almost all skin types, as they are used on the outermost layers of skin (the epidermis and dermal-epidermal interface). They can be used to treat acne and post-inflammatory pigmentation, with most patients recuperating within 3-5 days from the peel. hile peels are a great way to rejuvenate your skin year-round, you may want to limit peels in the summer, especially if you face frequent sun exposure or have sensitive skin.
Masks may prove a more beneficial summer procedure, as they act on only the skin’s outermost layers, have temporary effects, and can usually be completed with 20-30 minutes (FutureDerm). What’s more, masks can easily be personalized to fit your personal requirements, and seldom ever require time for recuperation and epithelialization.
To decide which treatment is the best for your skin’s needs, we suggest visiting one of PCA SKIN®’s Certified Professionals for a monthly treatment and consultation (you can find a local specialist using the PCA SKIN Certified Professional Locator ). PCA SKIN specialists are trained to recognize each patient’s skin care needs and customize the peel or mask accordingly. Their professional treatments consistently brighten clients’ skin complexion, reduce acne and blemishes, and improving the appearance of aging skin. Whichever professional treatment option is selected for your skin,, it is important that you continue visiting a skin care professional during the summer months for treatmentto maintain your results and keep the skin healthy.Â
Broad-Spectrum Sunscreens: Protecting You from Photodamage and Fiery Sunburn
Many of us have been guilty of equating a high SPF (Sun Protection Factor) with complete near-invincibility from the sun’s damaging rays. In actuality, an SPF of 50 protects against 98% of the sun’s rays, and anything over SPF 50 provides a minutiae increase in skin protection that serves more to psychologically satisfy us than offer any noticeable protection (Environmental Working Group). This, compounded with the fact that most of us apply too little sunscreen and apply sunscreen too infrequently, puts many of us at high risk for photo-damaged skin and developing skin cancer. Below are some facts to keep in mind when selecting a sunscreen.
- Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen. SPF alone is not an accurate indicator of a sunscreen’s strength; SPF is only concerned with a product’s ability to block UVB rays, which can cause sunburn and most non-melanoma cancers. Although researchers have not yet fully explored UVA radiation, it is generally agreed upon that Ultraviolet A (UVA) rays are much more dangerous and difficult to protect against than UVB rays. UVA rays can penetrate deep into the skin’s layers causing a breakdown in collagen and elastin, and are often linked to the development of melanoma and other forms of skin cancer (Experimental Dermatology, Environmental Working Group).
Until recently, most sunscreens dealt exclusively with UVB ray protection. In recent years, companies have begun to produce broad-spectrum sunscreens which offer substantial protection against both UVA and UVB rays. When selecting a broad-spectrum sunscreen, however, it is imperative that the sunscreen’s UVA protection rating is at least 1/3 of the UVB protection rating (the SPF rating) (Official Journal of the European Union). To be considered broad-spectrum in the US, a sunscreen must also have a Critical Wavelength rating of 370 nm or higher (Journal of Investigative Dermatology). The Critical Wavelength rating measures at what wavelength the sunscreen absorbs 90% or more of the UV rays (The Skin Cancer Foundation). PCA SKIN’s Active Broad Spectrum SPF 45: Water Resistant, Protecting Hydrator Broad Spectrum SPF 30, and Weightless Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 45 have received the Skin Cancer Foundation’s coveted Seal of Recommendation. To receive the Seal, products must be rigorously tested to ensure that they have at least an SPF of 15 for a Daily Use Seal and SPF of 30 or higher for an Active Seal, a Critical Wavelength rating of 370 nm, and must be demonstrated to have acceptable phototoxic reactions (adverse skin reactions) on at least 20 human subjects. Any claims for water resistance and sweat resistance must also be proven to the selection committee (The Skin Cancer Foundation).
Broad-spectrum sunscreens have been repeatedly shown to benefit skin health and reduce risks for future complications. A study from the Journal of Investigative Dermatology found that sunscreens with both a high UVA and UVB rating (14 and 25, respectively) greatly reduced the effects of UV radiation on participants’ immunosuppression (or impaired immune system response). Similarly, a study from the Journal of Clinical Oncology monitored participants’ use of SPF 15+ sunscreen over a ten-year period. Those who properly used the sunscreen daily had their chance of developing invasive melanoma reduced by 73%, and the overall likelihood of developing any type of melanoma (Journal of Clinical Oncology). Broad-spectrum SPF 50+ sunscreen also greatly reduced the likelihood of melasma (patches of discolored skin) in pregnant Korean women, with only 1% of the 217 participants developing melasma over the course of the 12-month study (Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications).
- Be liberal when applying sunscreen. Studies have repeatedly shown that sunscreen application is often too infrequent and too sparingly (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology), and use only a fraction of the recommended 2.0 mg/cm2 (about one ounce). Unfortunately, sparsely applying a high-SPF sunscreen greatly reduces the sunscreen’s efficacy. For example, a 2011 study found that applying a fourth of the recommended dose reduced an SPF 70’s sunscreen to an SPF 19, and the efficacy of an SPF 100 sunscreen to a mere SPF 27 (Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology)
The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends that you use approximately 1 oz (a shotglass-full) of sunscreen to cover your entire body, and use between 2-4 oz (one quarter to half of an 8 oz bottle) during a typical day at the pool (The Skin Cancer Foundation).
- Re-apply frequently. For the best sun protection, you should apply sunscreen at least 30 minutes before going outdoors so that your skin can fully absorb the sunscreen, with special attention given to often-overlooked areas like your ears, neck, and feet (American Melanoma Foundation). You should also apply more sunscreen if you are swimming, sweating, or physically exerting yourself.
- Do not rely on sunscreen alone. Unfortunately, even the best sunscreens are not infallible defenses against the sun. Sunscreen should also be used with other measures, such as wearing a wide-brimmed hat, dark clothing that can block the sun’s rays, and avoiding prolonged sun exposure during the peak hours of 10 AM – 2 PM.
Bottom Line
During the summertime, it’s easy to become lax with our skincare routines and take a more lackadaisical approach to things. In the interest of your skin health (and avoiding some pretty painful skin damage!), it’s important that you continue a healthy daily regimen. Aside from yearly visits to your dermatologist, we recommend that you visit one of PCA SKIN’s Certified Professionals once a month to receive a facial peel, mask, or other personalized procedure that can rejuvenate damaged skin and reduce the appearance of aging skin, among numerous other benefits. Of course, summer skin care would not be complete without using a broad-spectrum sunscreen. Broad-spectrum sunscreens protect against sunburn-inducing UVB rays and UVA rays which can increase the chances of skin cancer and skin aging. However, just because a sunscreen is broad-spectrum or has a high SPF does not mean that your routine is complete; sunscreen should be applied regularly and paired with our preventative measures such as staying indoors from 10 AM – 2 PM and wearing dark clothing that covers as much of your skin as possible. We suggest using one of PCA SKIN’s numerous Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation-awarded products, such as Active Broad Spectrum SPF 45: Water Resistant or Weightless Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 45.
American Melanoma Foundation – Facts about Sunscreen
Environmental Working Group – What’s Wrong with a High SPF?
FutureDerm – How do Facial Masks Work?, 2014
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2001
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology – Mechanisms of Sunscreen Failure, 2001
Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 2011
The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, 2010
Journal of Clinical Oncology, 2011
Journal of Cosmetics, Dermatological Sciences and Applications, 2013
Journal of Investigative Dermatology, 2001
Journal of Investigative Dermatology. 2010
Official Journal of the European Union, 2006
PCA Skin – Professional Treatments
PCA Skin – Active Broad Spectrum SPF 45: Water Resistant
PCA Skin – Protecting Hydrator Spectrum SPF 30
PCA Skin – Weightless Protection Broad Spectrum SPF 45
PubMed Health – Reticular Dermis
The Skin Cancer Foundation – Clothing: Our First Line of Defense
The Skin Cancer Foundation – How a Product Earns Our Seal
The Skin Cancer Foundation – Seal of Recommendation
The Skin Cancer Foundation – The Skin Cancer Foundation’s Guide to Sunscreens
The Skin Cancer Foundation – Sunscreens Explained
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