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Contributing Writer:
Angie Fortin, The Image Studio
Angie
Fortin is a licensed esthetician and has been working in the skin care
industry for over 12 years. She currently co-owns The Image Studio in
Latham, NY with her best friend of over 20 years! Angie is dedicated to not
only helping women look and feel better about themselves, but to educating
women on how to properly care for their skin. Now Angie is joining Grown Up
Girlfriends everywhere to chit chat about their skin and help us all fight
the aging process!
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Lather Up
Everyone knows the
importance of sunscreen. They don’t always know the best kinds to
get or what to look for in good sun protection.
Here are five important factors to look for when shopping for sun
protection:
- Make sure it protects
against both uva and uvb rays. A lot of sunscreens only protect
against one. Ingredients to look for would be zinc oxide,
titanium dioxide or avobenzone (also known as parsol 1789).
These block both uva and uvb rays.
- The SPF factor is also
very important as well. You want to look for a SPF of at least
30. The SPF factor determines how long you can stay in the sun
before you burn so it doesn’t make any sense to use anything
fewer than 30 because it just means you would have to reapply
more often. Anything over 30 has not been proven to lengthen the
time. Studies do not show any more protection from a 50 than
from a 30.
- Water proof is another
factor to look for. They are now requiring companies to change
their labels to state water resistant instead of water proof.
Nothing is 100% water proof. There are water resistant
sunscreens but you should always reapply after swimming.
- Spray vs. lotion. I
personally am a big fan of lotion. You can see where you put it
and it absorbs better into the skin. Sprays are more convenient
for littler ones but I personally don’t think they cover as
thoroughly.
- Most sunscreens are
greasy feeling. I like this because I have dry skin so it makes
my skin feel more hydrated. Being in the sun dehydrates the skin
a lot so a little extra hydration is good. For those people that
have oilier skin the greasy feel is not acceptable. They do make
sunscreens that have a more matte finish. However most of those
are sold at doctor’s offices or by skin care professionals.
I do not recommend any
specific brand but I do suggest trying a few different kinds to see
which one works best for you. Please remember that sun protection is
the #1 anti-aging product there is on the market. It helps prevent
premature aging, wrinkling and hyper pigmentation (age spots) so
stay sun protected this summer and feels good about looking your
best.
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At Grown Up Girlfriends we are about building
women up, strengthening each other and getting through life with
a few laughs along the way! |
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