The Facialist

Finally today in London, after months of grey, we had sun! And what a refreshing welcome it was. Unfortunalty the typical British attitude is to get out there and make the most of it, as it never lasts long. And right they should, but trying to convince Londoners the importance of SPF (sun protection factor) is a constant battle.

Did you know UVA (the damaging, ageing rays) can penetrate through clouds, glass and light clothing, so the importance of a broad spectrum SPF, worn daily, is a necessity. Even if there is no sun, and it has been cloudy and dull for months these UVA rays are so damaging and are the biggest cause for premature, photo-ageing amongst many women.

With all these new SPF 50 and even 70 on the market its leaving people tempted to slap that on and lie in the sun for as long as possible. Because surely you are more protected with an SPF 70 than 15? Wrong, you are in actual fact only getting slightly more UVB protection, and a lot lot more chemical additives in order to achieve this higher protection. So not really worth it for your skin.

I recommend an SPF 15 or 30 for everyday use, and this means EVERYDAY rain, snow, clouds or sun. And this should be a separate product to your moisturiser or make-up, it is not enough to rely on what's in them. If you are going to be in the sun throughout the day then you will need to reapply at least every 2 hours in order to keep protection at a maximum.

Pigmentation and photo ageing are the hardest skin conditions to reverse, so protect your skin to prevent against premature signs of ageing! Its easy and should be a part of your every day morning routine.

Right now I'm using SkinCeuticals brightening UV defence SPF 30, I use it everyday on top of my moisturiser and it's a great base for make-up too. It also has added properties to even out skin tone and treat hyperpigmentation.