Sunscreen | Beauty and Fashion Tech

Dec 13, 2012

The Evolving Beauty Routine

December 13, 2012 By Carleenp 1 Comment

Just the other day something amazing happened. I got carded, and they meant it, and I am 45! I can’t remember the last time that happened and it made my day! These days, I am unfortunately more aware than ever that aging is happening and my beauty routine is evolving with it. Here is a look at how my routine has evolved through the years.

Me at 45

The Teen Years

Oh to be a teen again with smooth and even skin. Well, wait, it wasn’t so sooth and even actually. I do remember teen acne. But I was pretty lucky back then. I could get by with a bit of basic acne treatment for breakouts. In hindsight though, I wish I had regularly worn sunscreen. Some of those aging signs that I see now could have been delayed! Back then all of the double duty products with sunscreen that you see now were not available. I don’t think regular makeup even had sunscreen in it at that time. Plus, I was rather naive about protecting my skin.

My 20’s

I had great skin in my 20’s. By my late 20’s, I also began to appreciate it by using makeup with sunscreen and wearing moisturizer at night. It was a good time, but changes were coming!

My 30’s

My 30s saw the first signs of sun damage. I developed melasma in spots and began a serious skin care routine in earnest. Sunscreen and products with antioxidants became part of my daily routine, and I sought out skin brightening and anti-aging products both to protect my skin and to treat discoloration. I learned a lot during that time, and came to seriously appreciate anything that would block UV rays.

My 40’s

I am now 45 and seeing a whole new host of issues. My melasma has faded quite a bit with years now of religious use of sunscreen, but fine lines and wrinkles are starting to show up and I am developing some redness that could be rosacea. My routine now includes more anti-aging products, and I look for items that can do double or triple duty by including treatment actives, a tint for a more even appearance, and sunscreen in one. The advent of BB creams, and now a CC cream, has been wonderful for that. Why buy multiple products when you can get them all in one?

I am also exploring technology for skin care more and more by looking into home laser and led light devices and by reading up on the latest products and ingredients. I love all of the innovations that are coming out in skin care! Hopefully, if I stick to a good routine, I can still fool a clerk into asking for identification a few more times!

As a leader in skincare with an eye for emerging trends, Olay is bringing the first-ever mass market CC line of products to the United States {Canada} beginning in October 2012. CC, or Color & Correct, Creams have started to emerge in Asia as a new category and are designed for women who love BB Creams for their ability to provide a quick, flawless finish but are seeking skincare solutions that deliver long-term benefits.

The Olay Total Effects CC Tone Correcting UV Moisturizers fight seven signs of aging, while also providing immediate color correction with tinted formulas that include UV protection and tone correction over time. The multiple, must-have instant and long-term benefits leave skin luminous and even-toned with the reduced appearance of discolorations, fine lines and wrinkles.

Disclosure: Compensation was provided by Olay via Glam Media. The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and are not indicative of the opinions or positions of Olay.

Disclosures: Beauty and Fashion Tech at times reviews products provided by a representative of the company. When we do so, we specifically state so. We also use affiliate links. For more, please see the disclosure page

Filed Under: Beauty Tech, Skin Care, Sunscreens Tagged With: BB Cream, CC Cream, Olay, Skin Care, Sunscreen

May 3, 2012

If You Do Nothing Else, Wear Sunscreen

May 3, 2012 By Carleenp 5 Comments

30 Days of Beauty, Day Two: The Importance of Sun Protection

When we asked beauty bloggers for their top beauty tips the number one tip given was to wear sunscreen.

How important is it? Take a look at these quotes:

Heather Walczuk from Beauty Unbiased:

“Just go ahead and throw away all of that money you spent on your organic vegetables, expensive moisturizers and anti-aging
creams if you aren't going to be using the proper SPF on your face.
Make sure the sunscreen has UVA and UVB protection to protect from
both sunburn and cancer causing rays. It's much easier to fake a tan
than erase wrinkles and sunspots.”

Jenna Watson from Beauty, Fashion, Fabulous!

“The Sun is Not Your Friend - even in the winter! We all know that we need to wear sunscreen during the summer when we are at the beach or lounging poolside, but did you know that you should be wearing sunscreen all year round? Skin damaging UV rays can be just as strong in cloudy weather and can even penetrate through windows! You may not get a sunburn, but those rays are harming you. Protecting yourself is simple – Buy a moisturizer with a SPF 15 or higher and apply it under your make up every day (my product-pick is in tip #2). During summer months wear sunscreen with a SPF 30 or higher.

Moxie from Moxie Reviews:

“Apply sun protection, even when it’s a cloudy day. If you don't, in addition to the fact that you will end up with skin that looks like leather, and lots of wrinkles and sunspots, you run the risk of skin cancer!”

About Sunscreen

Sunscreen is essential for the health of your skin, especially if you are a person who spends a lot of time outdoors. Even people who are dark skinned should use sunscreen when out in the sun. Some sun exposure is also vital for good health, as it helps the body manufacture Vitamin D, but the sun also has ultraviolet rays that are very damaging to skin. These rays can disrupt the DNA in skin cells and cause the skin to prematurely age and lead precancerous conditions like actinic keratoses and skin cancers. Although artificial sunscreens also seem to block the creation of Vitamin D, you can get your daily dose with very little sun exposure or through drinking Milk or a daily multi-vitamin. Don’t go tanning just for the Vitamin D!

Sunscreen can be applied as a lotion, spray, or gel. It can be made of organic chemicals that can absorb the UV light, or organic particles that are made of chromophores so that they not only absorb the UV rays but can also reflect and scatter them. Inorganic particles like titanium dioxide can also absorb as well as scatter and reflect ultraviolet light. These physical blockers tend to last longer and block better than many of the chemicals.

Sunscreen is rated by SPF, or sun protection factor. The higher the SPF the better it protects against sun damage, although there is a certain amount of diminishing returns after SPF 30 or so. This is calibrated by the amount of ultraviolet light needed to cause sunburn, but the calibration can be somewhat complex, as ultraviolet light varies depending on the time of day and weather conditions. The effectiveness of sunscreen also depends on skin type, how often the sunscreen is put on, then reapplied, whether a person goes swimming or simply lies in the sun, and how much of the sunscreen the user’s skin absorbs.

How to Apply Sunscreen

An average adult should apply about an ounce of SPF 15 or higher sunscreen over exposed parts of their body when they go out into the sun. Apply the sunscreen about a half an hour before you go out into the sun, then reapply sunscreen no more than two hours after you have been in the sun, with reapplications every hour to two hours. Reapply after swimming or heavy perspiration.

What the Beauty Bloggers Use

Sunscreen comes in many forms. Cindy Bokma from Hello Dollface likes a primer with an SPF so she can keep her skin protected from the sun, and any extra product is applied to the hands and neck/chest.

Nicki Zevola, the blogger behind FutureDerm likes to combine treatment products with sunscreen, She notes:

“Studies show certain combinations of antioxidants in specific concentrations can boost UV protection. Given that 80-90% of the visible signs of aging are attributable to UV damage, I always apply a 15% vitamin C + 1% vitamin E serum, like Skinceuticals CE Ferulic, under a broad-spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen. I'm also religious about sun avoidance and sun hats.”

At Beauty and Fashion Tech, we love Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear, because it it pairs a high SPF sunscreen with face powder or a decent coverage tinted moisturizer. Read our review here: Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear Review. We also love double duty products and use sunscreens that include skin brighteners such as DDF Protect and Correct. You can see that review here: DDF Protect and Correct Review.

Day Three Tomorrow: Keeping it Clean, All About Cleanser.

Filed Under: 30 Days of Beauty, Skin Care, Sunscreens Tagged With: 30 Days of Beauty, Sunscreen

Jun 25, 2010

The Best Sunscreens

June 25, 2010 By Carleenp 1 Comment

With so many choices, finding the best sunscreen can be difficult. The following article, syndicated from Total Beauty, has some quality suggestions based on reader ratings.

I am a particularly big fan of the powder sunscreens such as the Peter Thomas Roth Powder Sunscreen and ColorScience Powder Sunscreen products included in the article. They tend to physically block UVA and UVB rays, which is preferable to chemical sunscreens because those break down over time, especially in the sun (go figure!). They also are a great way to reapply sunscreen over makeup. You can read my previous review of several powder sunscreens here: Top Powder Sunscreen.

I also particularly like the DDF sunscreen in the article. It is light and does not cause acne issues with me, which some other sunscreens do.

Lately, my favorites have been two items that are not in the article: ARCONA Reozone 40, which is physical block SPF 40 sunscreen containing zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that works great with oily skin, and Physician’s Formula Healthy Wear, which has a nice tinted moisturizer and mineral power sunscreen combination.

Put Your Best Face Forward With One of These Top-Rated Sunscreens

Keep your face protected with one of these reader-approved sublocks

This is a TotalBeauty.com skin care article

Think you can't wear sunscreen on your face without it being an oil orgy? Think again. These facial sunscreens won't make you look greasy and even allow you to wear makeup under or over 'em.

See products

What is your favorite sunscreen? Let us know!