Protect Your Skin
My number one beauty secret is sunblock, sunblock, sunblock! Every day, rain, or shine, winter or summer. Wearing sunblock has become second nature to me. I keep it in my purse, my office drawer, the car. A year's worth of incidental sun exposure-walking outside to the car, to get the mail, to chat with a friend-all adds up to the same skin damage as a week spent baking on the beach without sunscreen.
Sun Protection Basics
- Look for a sunblock with both UVA and UVB protection, or "broad-spectrum".
- Check the ingredients in your sunblock. If it doesn't contain either zinc oxide or Parsol 1789 (also called Avobenzone) then it will not protect you properly.
- Use an SPF of at least 30 or above.
- Colored sunblock has the bonus of showing you the areas you may have missed.
- Don't use last summer's sunblock-it's no longer effective. Sunblock has a shelf life of 6 to 8 months.
- Wear sunglasses, hats, and protective clothing. Glasses for $10 are as effective as a pair for $100.
- Wash your summer clothes in Rit Sun Guard Laundry Treatment. It gives an SPF of 30, protecting you from the burning rays that seep through your clothing. It lasts up to 20 washes.
