BEAUTY SPOT

Vitamin Sea

When I was eighteen, I worked as girl Friday (that’s Gen X for junior) at Vogue magazine. When I wasn’t making coffee, picking up dry-cleaning or walking the editor’s dogs, I was watching. Endlessly watching as I inhaled the Vogue air. Vogue air is different. It’s full of secrets. One day, the beauty director and I were stuck in the office lift together. I was looking at the floor, when, out of the blue, she leaned in towards me and whispered.

BD: Paula, do you want to know what the real secret to good skin is?

PJ: Yes, please, ye keeper of the Vogue beauty secrets.

BD: Keep out of the sun and wear sunscreen every single day, inside and in the rain.

This remains the single best piece of beauty advice from an expert that I’ve ever received. If you make one change after reading this book, make it this.

Protect the skin on your face and body from the sun. Wear sunscreen. Every day. Without exception

What Even Is SPF?

SPF is the universal lab term for sun protection factor, which measures how well the product protects the skin from sunburn. the higher the number, the better the protection. the plus sign means ‘more than’ the number it’s next to – SPF 50+ sunscreen must provide at least SPF 60 in testing. Broadspectrum SPF sunscreens filter both UVA and UVB rays. UVB is the principal cause of sunburn, but both uVA and uVB contribute to increased skin cancer risk.

But I love the sun …

The sun’s ability to damage your skin is a beauty truth that’s a little cruel because the sun feels wonderful. Nothing quite beats the pleasure of the sun on your skin and a tan can make skin appear more even and glowy. But this glow is temporary. It will fade over a few weeks, but the damage will last for years.

Approximately 90 percent of premature ageing is a result of sun damage. This is called photoageing, and it can appear as sunspots, pigmentation, dehydration, rough skin, patchy skin, flaky skin, wrinkles … the sun can turn

your skin into a crumpled-up piece of paper. That’s lying on the floor, ruined and wretched. Like in a Taylor Swift song.

You will never have the skin you want without consistent use of a sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. This habit will also help to protect against melanoma.

So finding a product that works with your skin type but also protects is possibly your most important purchase. If you don’t commit to sun protection you may as well throw out the rest of your beauty cabinet. And this book.

Chemical vs physical sunscreen

There are two types of sunscreens: chemical sunscreens, which are made from synthetic ingredients, and physical sunscreens, which are made from natural mineral ingredients like zinc and titanium dioxide. You can often tell what type of sunscreen you’re using from the consistency.

Chemical sunscreens are typically less thick and more transparent in a gel, lotion or cream formulation. While physical sunscreens are thicker and most commonly contain zinc oxide in cream or powder formulations.

Both types of sunscreens offer the skin protection from ultraviolet (UV) radiation. There are three types of UV radiation that we need protection from:

1. UVA. A is for ageing. These long-wave rays cause cellular damage.
2. UVB. B is for burn. This is short-wave radiation that causes visible damage to the skin immediately.
3. UVC. C is for cosmos. The highest energy portion of the sun’s radiation, these rays don’t penetrate the ozone layer but skin can be affected by UVC via laser or heat lamps.

Vitamin D

You need to stay out of the sun to achieve your skin goals. But you also need vitamin D, which we derive from the sun. Isn’t life wicked?!

          The amount of sunlight your skin needs depends on several factors, such as your skin type, the time of day, season, and where you live. Generally, exposing your hands, arms and face to sunlight for five to 30 minutes, two to three times per week, is enough to meet your vitamin D needs. Walk the dog, swim in the ocean, or have a cup of tea in the sun. Limit your exposure, but make sure you get some.

          Vitamin D supplements can be beneficial, especially for people who have limited sun exposure because of work or geography. Vitamin D is essential for bone health, immune function and other physiological processes. Next time you get your blood taken, ask the doctor to test your vitamin D levels to make sure they’re at a healthy level.

Vitamin Sea

The other vitamin I believe is beneficial for good skin is vitamin sea. The ocean is a great healer and invigorator. ocean water is rich in minerals like magnesium, potassium and calcium, which can help to hydrate and nourish. Additionally, the salt in ocean water can have exfoliating effects on the skin, helping to remove dead skin cells and promote skin renewal. it also lifts your mood – i’ve never had a swim i regret. If you’re lucky enough to live near the ocean, this is your reminder to make the most of this free resource.

Here are some SPF dinner-party facts:

• SPF is not waterproof. At most, it’s water resistant. Which means you have to reapply every time you go for a swim or sweat
• SPF 30 guards against 97 percent of UVB rays and SPF 50 guards against about 98 percent. There is often as little as one to five percent difference in protection factors above a factor 30. Higher SPF numbers can create a false sense of security. The key to true protection is reapplication. You must reapply every two hours. (Now I feel like a wind-up doll.).
• The most effective SPF is one you like to wear. So when you find one with the right texture and smell, commit and make it your signature.
• Don’t use skincare that contains SPF because it can reduce the efficacy of your active ingredients. The chemicals in SPF will trump most other chemicals. So, an SPF in your expensive serum will turn your serum into expensive sunscreen with none of the benefits of the serum.
• SPF doesn’t last forever. The reason it contains so many ingredients is because many of them are photosensitive. A lot of the chemicals in sunscreen are there to prop up and protect the ones that work. If you haven’t used a bottle in the calendar year in which you bought it, you need to bin it.

Edited extract from The Glow Up– Your Skin Only Much Better, by Paula Joye, published by Simon & Schuster.