By Gina Pulisciano
If you live on the Jersey Shore, there's a pretty good chance you like going to the beach, and why wouldn't you? The Jersey Shore is home to some pretty spectacular beaches. Of course I'm not here to tell you the wonders of NJ beaches, I'm here to explain what a day out on those beautiful beaches can do to your skin.
Since living and working here (as an esthetician), I've seen a lot of sun damage in the treatment room. This shows up as hyperpigmentation, or dark spots/freckles on the skin. If you already have it, there are ways of diminishing the damage (chemical peels, laser treatments), but what I really want to talk about today is preventing this damage in the first place.
This is a cautionary tale for those of you still in your 20s reading this! You get a sunburn here and there, you don't see the damage right away then one summer BOOM!
"Where did that mole come from?" You ask.
"This dark spot seemed to appear overnight, and I haven't even been in the sun!"
Oh, but your skin knows what you did last summer...
Prevention is imperative!
Here are ways to protect your skin from sun damage:
Reapply Your SPF
Obviously by now you know the importance of wearing sunscreen. The thing is many of us will apply at the start of the day and that's it. We forget, especially when in the sun for long periods of time, that we are supposed to reapply every hour. It's great if your makeup or BB Cream has SPF but make sure you have sunscreens that are separate from those as well.
Wear Sunglasses
The area around our eyes is soooo sensitive. Want to hear something depressing? We actually stop producing moisture around our eyes at the age of 20! Wearing sunglasses when outside is an easy way to prevent squinting (and wrinkles!) as well as little dark spots that can creep in in this very sensitive area.
Use Sun Shields / Face Shade
For the times that sunscreen fails you, make sure you have something to shade your face! This could be a big, floppy hat, an umbrella/tent/face canopy... just have something!
Exfoliate Less
Summer is the time you can scale back on your skincare regimen. Use a gentle, physical exfoliant like Alchemy Holistics Cleansing Clay 1-2 times a week to help slough off dead skin and unclog the pores, and that's it. If you're using a retinoid, the above tips are law. Any sun you get while on a retinoid will amplify that sun damage tenfold. Same as chemical peels. Now that I say it, just wait until winter on those.
That all being said, have a happy and healthy summer, and enjoy your (protected) fun in the sun!