10 top tips for summer skin survival.

1. Slop on some sunscreen.

This is the best defense against sunburn, photoageing and skin cancers. Make sure you use a broad spectrum, SPF 50+ sunscreen and apply 30 minutes prior to heading outside, and reapply every 2-4 hours. Make sure it’s water resistant if swimming or exercising.

2. Slap on a hat.

Don’t forget to put on a hat, to stop the sun’s harmful UV rays reaching your scalp, face and ears. This will also help protect your hair from UV damage. But make sure it’s a broad-brimmed hat (at least 7.5cm), not a baseball cap.

3. Slip on protective clothing.

Look for clothing that covers as much skin as possible. Materials that have a close weave give higher UV protection. Cotton, polyester/cotton and linen materials are lightweight, cool to wear and when tightly woven can protect against 95% of UV radiation. Some clothes are given an Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) rating, indicating how much of the sun’s rays are absorbed by the fabric. For example one with UPF30 will allow only 1/30 of UV light to penetrate.

4. Slide on some sunglasses.

Prolonged UV exposure can cause redness of they eyes, just as our skin can burn. Over time, UV damage can result in eye problems such as cataracts and macular degeneration. Make sure your sunglasses meet the Australian/New Zealand standard for sunglasses (Category 2, 3 or 4). Oversized sunglasses are ‘in’: so you can look great and protect your eyes at the same time!

5. Seek shade.

Staying in the shade is one way to reduce sun exposure, but you still need other sun protection measures (clothing, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen) to avoid reflected UV radiation.

6. Protect your pout.

Sun damage can lead to dry, cracked, scaly lips, as well as skin cancers. So love your lips and put on a lip balm. Look for lip-specific products that have an SPF 30 or higher. If you wear lipstick, darker shades provide more UV defense than sheer, glossy ones.

7. Fake it, don’t bake it.

Forget sunbathing and tanning booths. Fake tans are now better than ever, and come in lotion, cream, gel and spray form. Most have the active ingredient dihydroxyacetone (DHA), which coats dead skin cells with colours. The “tan” then disappears when the cells are washed off or sloughed off. Exfoliating for a few days prior to application will help ensure a longer lasting, more even colour. And remember, a fake tan will not provide you with any protection against the sun’s UV rays, so you will still need to apply a sunscreen.

8. Get up and glow.

For radiant summer skin, look for moisturisers that contain anti-oxidants (such as Vitamin C, E, B3) to help mop up free radicals produced by sun exposure. Use weather appropriate products: pack away the thicker winter creams and go for lighter lotions and serums. If you are prone to acne, make sure you choose oil-free products.

9. Powder your nose.

“Functional coloured cosmetics”, such as foundation, powder, blush, eye shadow, eyeliner, mascara and lipstick are the second most important anti-ageing products after sunscreen and also reduce the incidence of skin cancer particular around the eye. Due to their unique blend of SPF ingredients, pigments and reflectors of solar radiation they should be a vital part of every woman’s anti-ageing and skin cancer prevention regime. So layer it up: apply sunscreen first, and then make-up on top.

10. Drink up! Water that is…..

Make sure you drink plenty of water to keep your body and your skin hydrated. And don’t forget to rinse off after swimming and apply a moisturiser to avoid dry, irritated skin.

Can sunscreens actually turn back the clock?

Investigators studied 32 women that applied a broad-spectrum photostable sunscreen (SPF 30) for 52 weeks to the entire face. Evaluation by dermatologists and self-assessments by the subjects were conducted at baseline and then at weeks 12, 24, 36 and 52.

Data analysis from the dermatologist’s assessment showed that all photoageing parameters significantly improved from baseline, as early as week 12, and continued until the end of the study. Skin surface and pigment attributes (texture, clarity, mottled and discrete pigmentation) improved the most, showing 40-52% improvement from baseline at week 52, with 100% of subjects showing improvement in skin clarity and texture. All other photoageing signs (crow’s feet fine lines, skin tone evenness, overall skin tone and overall photodamage) improved 18-34% by week 52. Subject self-assessment reports showed similar trends.

The results suggest that daily use of a broad-spectrum, photostable sunscreen not only prevents additional photoaging but may actually visibly reverse some of the signs of existing photodamage. Yet another reason to slather on that sunscreen!

Reference: Dermatol Surgery 2016;42:1354-1361. Daily use of a Facial Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Over One-Year Significantly Improves Clinical Evaluation of Photoaging. Randhawa M, Wang S et al.

Sunbathers beware! Skin damage continues hours after sun exposure.

The unusual chemical properties of melanin mean that although it is a good UV absorber, it is also susceptible to other chemical reactions that have the same impact as the UV. Melanin may thus be carcinogenic as well as protective against skin cancer.

Researchers exposed human and mouse pigment cells (melanocytes) to radiation from a UV lamp. Although the cells experienced immediate DNA damage, this continued for hours. In fact, half of the damage occurred in the hours following exposure.

Free radicals generated by UV light caused delayed damage to DNA with the aid of compounds derived from melanin. This melanin-assisted process creates compounds known as cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers in DNA, which can lead to mutations that cause melanoma, a potentially deadly skin cancer. These changes are identical to the well-known genetic alterations caused directly by UV light, but at least half of the dimers appear well after your trip to the beach.

However, there is some good news. Researchers say it may be possible to develop sunscreens that protect against this type of damage. But we’re not there yet………

Reference: Science 2015;34:842-847. Chemiexcitation of melanin derivatives induces DNA photoproducts long after UV exposure. Premi S, Wallisch S et al.