Why Sunscreen is Your Best Anti-aging Cream, or “Pale is the New Tan”*

As an esthetician, I often get asked about “which product is the best anti-wrinkle cream.”  Usually this question comes from someone closer to my age range (let’s say I’m between 35 and 60) and not from someone closer to my daughter’s age (let’s say she’s between 0 and 20), when it actually makes more sense to think about preventing wrinkles.  My answer is always the same: the best anti-wrinkle cream is sunscreen – worn every day when you were a child.  (Insert admonishing smile here.)

 

Our bodies (and skin) age two basic ways:  through internal, unavoidable factors (called intrinsic aging), and through external factors (called extrinsic aging) such as sun exposure, pollution, smoking, harsh topical products and stress.  Intrinsic aging only accounts for about 20 percent of the way we age – extrinsic factors cover the other 80 percent!  This means we have control over 80 percent of how we visibly age.

 

The sun, otherwise known as UVA and UVB radiation, is the number one environmental factor that ages us the most.  I didn’t want to believe it either, but it’s true.  I can think of few people who love the sun more than me (having grown up on the sunny beaches of Southern California, no summer complete without at least a few major sunburns before achieving a golden tan), but the sun is not exactly our best friend (as much as we want it to be) – unless you don’t mind your best friend giving you skin cancer, sagging skin, fine lines and wrinkles, broken capillaries and sun spots (thanks, friend!).

 

We actually get most of our cell-damaging sun exposure by the time we reach age 20.  And it takes about 5 to 20 years to actually see that damage in your skin (which explains why so many clients who visit skin care professionals to repair their skin are over age 35 – that’s when the damage we did in our teens and 20’s starts to become visible in the skin).  This is why it is so important to teach our kids about wearing sunscreen on a daily basis – getting into a habit that’s as easy to do as brushing your teeth every morning before you leave for school.

 

There is a silver lining out there for individuals who love the sun – studies have shown that applying a SPF 30 sunscreen on a daily basis will help reverse some of that damage you did years ago.  For those of us who absolutely have to be in the sun, wearing sunscreen doesn’t mean you won’t get a little color in your skin – sunscreen with UVA/UVB broad-spectrum protection is protecting you from skin cancer.  Look for products that contain antioxidants blended with these active ingredients: Zinc Oxide, Titanium Dioxide, Avobenzone (Parsol 1789) or Mexoryl (Ecamsule).  Apply at least 1 oz (the size of a full shot glass) to cover your entire body, 30 minutes before you go outside.  Don’t rely on SPF in makeup for adequate coverage – always use sunscreen first, then apply makeup with sunscreen for extra protection.

 

Blame Coco Chanel.  It was she who made a glowing tan a fashionable sign of “healthy” skin back in the 1920’s.  Until Coco’s arrival in Paris after a cruise from Cannes, a tan was seen as a sign of the working class.  Lily-white, pale skin was coveted by many societies.  But Ms. Chanel’s golden glow created a trend that has lasted almost 100 years.  With all that we know now, and with the growing numbers of skin cancers and precancers diagnoses, along with visible aging, it’s time to rethink that trend and start wearing sunscreen.

 

*This is the first blog in a series on sun protection.  May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month.

 

Special Skin Care Concerns – Treating Asian Skin

Our Japanese partners from Osaka were visiting our corporate office last week and I got to perform a facial on one of the women on the team, which was a very special privilege for me.  Here in Boise, I don’t get many chances to work on Asian skin very often.

 

Asian skin is very delicate skin, and Asian women are very concerned about keeping their skin as light as possible.  Products that help with hyperpigmentation are highly regarded and coveted especially in the Japanese-Asian skin care market – but those pigmentation treatment products must also be formulated for very sensitive skin as well. 

 

Years ago, renowned dermatologist Dr. Thomas Fitzpatrick created a way to classify skin type by the tendency to burn or tan when exposed to the sun.  This Fitzpatrick skin typing helped the skin care professional determine which types of treatments would be safe for certain skin colors, such as aggressive chemical peels or laser procedures.  The Fitzpatrick scale ranges from Type I, the fairest skin most susceptible to sunburn and sun damage, to Type VI, the darkest skin most resistant to sunburn and sun damage.  As well, darker skin types tend to be the most susceptible to pigmentation disorders, such as post-inflammatory hyperpigmentation (after a blemish or scab has cleared), or melasma.  Although Japanese skin is very fair, it must be treated as Fitzpatrick V, due to the tendency for sensitive Japanese skin to pigment easily.  Aggressive peels and laser protocols must be used cautiously as well.

 

Visible pigment is triggered by an inflammatory response in the skin, so it is important for Asian skin to use gentle products that help calm inflammation in the skin.  Remember that living life every day exposes your skin to factors that contribute to inflammation – from sun exposure and pollution to lifestyle and diet.  Skin care products that use a combination of anti-inflammatory ingredients along with antioxidants (to help protect against free radical damage) help to calm the inflammatory process, which in turn helps improve the appearance of visible pigmentation.

 

My lovely Asian “client” had beautiful skin to begin with, so I concentrated on giving her a gentle but thorough cleansing with Epionce® Milky Lotion Cleanser followed by Epionce® Gentle Foaming Cleanser, using my ultrasonic spatula for very light removal of dead surface cells.  I infused Epionce® Lite Lytic with ultrasound to further deep clean her pores, reduce any redness, and smooth her skin texture.  I followed with an application of Epionce® Enriched Firming Mask to add hydration and further soothe her skin.  While she masked and relaxed, I performed a hand treatment using Epionce® Rebalancing Clarifier and Epionce® Renewal Body Lotion, slipping her hands inside warm mitts.  We finished the facial with a light application of Epionce® Rebalancing Clarifier, Epionce® Renewal Eye Cream, Epionce® Renewal Facial Lotion and Epionce® Active Shield Lotion SPF30+.  She looked absolutely radiant when we were done!

 

The Japanese skin care market has the most stringent regulations in the world regarding ingredient formulations, and products imported from the US must undergo very extensive testing before they are brought into the Japanese market.  This process could take years before a US skin care manufacturer is allowed to retail its products in Japan. 

 

Epionce® products, formulated to nourish the skin with a blend of botanicals and antioxidants, and help calm inflammation in the skin, will be introduced to the Japanese market in the fall of 2008.