Skin Protection & BYS

We all like a healthy tan; it makes us look and feel good about ourselves. But I guess none of us really like or want the over baked, orange tan look!

Tanning/sun burn is the body’s reaction to injury and occurs when the sun penetrates the skin.

Coming from an almost year round sunny country (Australia), BYS know how to protect and look after your skin. The best was to do this is, of course, to use sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15. This can be difficult when you want to also wear make up – the answer – BYS Liquid Foundation with in built SPF15 protection.

The sun protection factor is the scale for rating the level of sunburn protection in sunscreen products.  The higher the SPF the more it protects the skin from the direct rays of the sun. It does not necessarily ensure you can stay in the sun longer.

You must also give your skin at least 20 to 30 minutes to absorb the sunscreen protecting agents before venturing outside.  Every day you go unprotected may mean another tiny line or wrinkle.  Ninety percent of wrinkles are caused by the sun's UVA light and sun damage is the number one cause of premature ageing in men and women.  Even at low level exposure, UVA light breaks down collagen which causes wrinkles.

Apart from the ageing UVA rays, you must also protect your skin from the burning UVB rays.  These are the main causes of skin cancer.  Aside from using protecting foundation or sunscreen, the obvious would be to ‘cover up’ and avoid exposure to the strongest sun rays between 10am and 3pm.

If, after taking precautions, you do find you have burnt, make sure you drink plenty of water, you will probably be dehydrated.  Use a cool compress over the burnt area to ease the pain then apply an ‘after sun’ gel or lotion such as Tea Tree body lotion, which has soothing and antibacterial properties to help repair and smooth injured skin, or Aloe Vera gel, which is moisturising and soothing and helps heal damaged skin.

Your diet can also guard against skin damage from the sun.  A diet of fish or a supplement of fish oils containing essential fatty acids shows promising results.

Summer is a wonderful season and by taking care of your skin and following preventative tips, you can enjoy yourself in the sun!