A guide to SPF, by your favorite esthetician, Cydney Tyrpak
Have you ever wondered why we, as professionals, push SPF? Why grandma always
reminds you to put it on (while you casually brush her off)? Ever catch yourself saying “I have sunscreen in my makeup, I'll be fine.”? If these burning questions are making your skin crawl, keep reading because we're applying SPF facts you probably didn’t know.
SPF, or "sun protection factor" can be found everywhere.
Sun protection can be found everywhere, sun-protecting fabrics, your makeup, lotions, serums, and even in some of those essential oils you've grown to love!
SPF In Your Makeup
You purchase foundation, only to find out that it contains SPF. Does this miracle product really have what it takes to protect against the damaging rays of the sun? Don't get too excited. While your SPF foundation may be helpful for a moment, it’s not as beneficial as you may think. Most SPF found in makeup products only protect against UVB rays,
the rays that cause sunburn, but what about the UVA rays? Nope. Your favorite BB
cream is not protecting you from the AGING rays (likely the rays grandma was warning us about). The easiest way to remember UVB? B = Burn. UVA, A = Aging. UVA rays will penetrate through your sunscreen-infused makeup which it’s why it’s so important to use a broad-spectrum SPF specific product. You can apply your makeup right on top!
How Much Sunscreen And How Often?
The amount of sunscreen we are supposed to be using is questionable to most.
Professionals have found that people use about 50% less than they actually should be. You should be applying 2 milligrams of SPF per quarter centimeter of your skin. Don’t waste your time doing the math. I’ll give you some easy guidelines to follow.
One shot glass amount for the body and 2 nickel sized dollops for the face should be enough to have full protection against the sun. Want to break it down even further? Apply until your skin is shining! Most importantly, REAPPLY at least every 2 hours (unless at home where it’s only necessary to reapply to skin that isn't covered by clothing). Don’t forget those UVA rays are still working!
Last Year's Sunscreen
Okay, so you have a sunscreen you loved from the past few summers and are thinking about
bringing it back out, however, the shelf life of sunscreen is usually three years. Everything has an expiration date and sunscreen is no different. The expiration date can always be found on the bottle. So before slathering on last year's favorite SPF, check out the date before using it. Expired SPF is just a moisturizer!
Wish You Would Have Listened to Grandma?
Get in touch with your local esthetician! We have all the knowledge of SPF and more. And while sun damage isn’t reversible, there are many services that can be done to minimize the appearance like a Microglow Diamond Dermabrasion facial. There’s no skin problem we can’t address!
Stop by Agape Organic Salon to ask all of your SPF questions, check out our skincare services, or schedule a professional skin assessment by clicking on this link.
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