Your Sun Protection Questions Answered

We at Lavinia Borcau Skin Care want to provide you with all you need to know to enjoy the summer sun safely!  Our facial treatments and exfoliating body treatments are a great way to reverse sun damage to your skin, but prevention is even better.  Read on to get your questions about sunscreen answered: When should sunscreen be used? Sunscreen should be applied to the face and neck every day, and on exposed areas of the body if you’re planning to be in the sun for longer than 20 minutes. Sunscreens can be applied under makeup and are available in moisturizers; for example, LaVie Organique Day Cream, which provides SPF 15 and helps combat the signs of aging skin by combining zinc oxide, a natural sunblock, with tons of antioxidants, known to slow and even reverse skin damage.  Sunscreens used on a regular basis actually allow some repair of damaged skin. Sunscreens should be applied to dry skin 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors. How much sunscreen do I need? A dime-sized amount is recommended to cover the face and neck.  When covering the whole body with sunscreen before hitting the beach, use no less than an ounce (enough to fill up a shot glass).  Don’t forget to apply sunscreen to your scalp along the part, and use a lip balm with SPF.  Sunscreen needs to be reapplied after swimming or perspiring heavily.  You can monitor yourself to make sure you’re using enough sunscreen by comparing how much you use to how many ounces are in the tube.  If you’ve applied sunscreen to your whole body three times and there’s still some left in your 3-ounce tube, you know you’re not applying enough. Is using sunscreen all I need to protect my skin? Sunscreen provides the majority of sun protection, but it is wise to use additional sun barriers such as wide-brimmed hats, beach cover-ups, or maybe even avoiding the sun altogether between the peak hours of 10am-4pm if you know you’re prone to sunburn. Is tanning safe as long as I’m using sunscreen? Ladies, we all appreciate the toned, bronzed look of a tan, but the truth is, there is no safe way to tan from sun exposure (and tanning beds are even worse!).  A suntan is your body’s self-preservation reaction to damaging sun exposure.  Over the years, tanning, and especially repeated sunburns, can lead to early aging of skin, wrinkles, uneven skin tone, and even melanoma.  If it’s just not summer to you without a bronzed body, we recommend spray-on tans or self-tanning creams. Thanks for reading our notes on sun protection! We hope you enjoy the fantastic summer weather safely and happily! LaVie Organique Day Cream contains zinc oxide, an effective sunscreen, which provides SPF 15.  This level of sun protection is sufficient for most skin types, although those with very fair skin may wish to add another method of sun protection such as mineral makeup or a wide-brimmed hat.