Being at home doesn’t mean you should skip your skincare routine. I want to share 4 best reasons why sunscreen is a must for luxe skin. When you spend time and money on serums and treatments your skin must be protected from the harsh sun.

We all want to look like we are sun filtered: smooth, poreless, glowing skin that looks unfussed with. Something many who adore their beauty is don’t really take seriously: Sunscreen is a must and I’m going to explain why it’s important to wear sunscreen. In one of my recent post, I explain the importance of skincare and each step builds to the ultimate goal: luxe skin.

Now, you may feel you don’t need the protection because your indoors, or for my lovely melanin-enriched ladies you may believe the old saying black doesn’t crack. Well, let me give you some good Auntie advice, you need to wear sunscreen year-round no matter what color you are. I know many feel sunscreen is a summer accessory but the sun is persistent as a dusty trying to get you to go out to Netflix and Chill date.

The Breakdown

Sunscreen comes in a wide variety of formulations and chemical make-up. I will not bore you with such but I will give a quick break down of the two types, chemical and physical:

Chemical sunscreen absorbs into the skin and then absorbs UV rays, converts the rays into heat, and releases them from the body. The active ingredients in chemical sunscreens include avobenzone, octinoxate, and oxybenzone.[1] 

On the opposite side of the spectrum, physical sunblock sits on top of the skin and reflects the sun’s rays. The minerals titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are the main active ingredients in physical blocks.

Pros and Cons of Chemical and Physical Sunscreen:

Chemical

Pros:

• Less is needed to protect the skin because there is no risk of spaces between the sunscreen molecules after application
•  It tends to be thinner and spreads more easily on the skin.

Cons:

• Requires about 20 minutes after application before it starts to work
• Increased chance of irritation and stinging due to the multiple ingredients combined to achieve broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection
• The higher the SPF, the higher the risk of irritation for sensitive skin types
• The protection it offers gets used up more quickly when in direct UV light, so re-application must be more frequent.
• May clog pores for oily skin types

Physical

Pros:

• Offers protection against both UVA and UVB rays and is naturally broad-spectrum
• Protects from the sun as soon as it’s applied, no wait needed
• Lasts longer when in direct UV light, but not when wet or sweating
• Less likely to cause a stinging irritation on the skin
• Less likely to be pore-clogging, making it ideal for acne-prone skin
• Longer shelf life

Cons:

• Can rub off, sweat off and rinse off easily, meaning more frequent re-application when outdoors as needed
• May leave a white film on the skin, making some formulas incompatible for medium to dark skin tones
• Can be less protective if not applied and re-applied generously and accurately since UV light can get between the sunscreen molecules and get into the skin[2]

Skin is very delicate and valuable and very expensive to repair. Now that you know how sunscreen works, you may be wondering why is it important to wear sunscreen daily no matter if you’re leaving your home. Glad you asked, here are my 4 best reasons why sunscreen is a must for luxe skin:

4 best reasons why sunscreen is a must for luxe skin

1. Skin Cancer isn’t cute sis

Sunscreen protects you from the harmful UVA and UVB rays that can cause skin cancer including melanoma. This is very important as skin cancer is very aggressive and life-threatening especially in ladies in their 20’s and beyond. So, do yourself a favor wear sunscreen. Extra tip, if your health insurance has an FSA/HSA you can use those dollars to purchase sunscreen because it’s that serious.

2. Even skin is a blessing

The continued and consistent use of sunscreen helps to prevent uneven skin. For example, if you’re using some of the popular skin brightening and hyperpigmentation serums out on the market you’re throwing your money in the trash if you’re not using sunscreen. Your skin is hypersensitive and if unprotected your allowing the sun to create more damage. In my skincare journey, I noticed my skin do a 180 when I started wearing sunscreen and could see how effective my skincare products were.

3. Windows and Cloudy days don’t protect 

Windows in your home and car may block UVB rays but those UVA rays still get through, so your skin may not burn but your skin will show damage over time. Cloudy days can create a fake sense of coverage but they still allow the sun to come through and in the snow, those sun rays are intensified as they bounce off the snow. The simplest solution is to make sure you’re covered no matter what you’re doing.

4.   Forever young 

Photoaging from the sun is a thing and those of us who like to partake in a little sun frolicking are hyper exposed to this. Premature aging, wrinkles, and leathery skin are not things we want in 2020.

Damage that is caused is a slow build which you won’t notice until it’s too late. I want your skin to have it’s best life so make sure you protect it well.

Wrap it up

There are way more reasons to wear sunscreen but I feel these are enough for you to understand the importance. Your worth the fuss of that added layer each morning on your face and anywhere your skin will be exposed. 

Make sure you’re using at least a ½ teaspoon of sunscreen on each area to make sure you’re adequately protected, no half stepping. Find a sunscreen that suits your budget, skin type needs, and use it consistently.

I know for many ladies especially those with dark skin sunscreen can be a bit of a struggle as they can make us look ashy or turn our lovely skin purple. I will share my sunscreen recommendations for dark skin. It’s important to make sure your covered.

[1] [1] https://www.piedmont.org/living-better/the-difference-between-physical-and-chemical-sunscreen