As if keeping in trend with the yuletide season that Christmas is all about, we have been blessed (or cursed, for the sun-loving ones out there) with a prolonged period of torrential rains, minor flooding, and ‘sweater weather’ in recent times, here in sunny Singapore.
While the lack of sun and the rain being ‘a vibe’ is perfect for all of the introverts and fair-skinned beauties out there, I would like to apologize for bursting your bubble by informing you that there will be no time before we will be all rained out, and the blistering, sweltering heat will be all over us again.
When that happens sooner than later, how will you be handling not just the heat, but the skin-harming UV rays of the sun?
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The Cold Hot Truth
If sunscreen is your answer, you are only partially correct. To get the best out of the product you’re using, you need to understand it inside out before you can fully optimize its use. The first way to understand a product is to clear any misconceived notions about it
Here are some grave misconceptions about sunscreen you ought to know about.
“A good sunscreen provides all-day protection.”
This is a myth that has to be busted, because it is not true. In reality, the efficacy of a one-time application of sunscreen only lasts for 2 to 4 hours at best, and that is if applied generously.
You actually need to apply sunscreen every 2 hours, to ensure all-day protection.
“If I want immunity against UV rays, I should pick a sunscreen with an SPF of 100.”
This is something we’re all too guilty of. ‘Higher means better’ is really not the case when it comes to sunscreen – SPF 100 is nothing more than a marketing gimmick.
According to a study by Consumer Reports, almost a third of the 34 sunscreen brands they tested did not live up to their advertised SPF, and the FDA has also come out of the fray and branded sunscreen products with values greater than 50 ‘inherently misleading’.
The difference in protection from the sun between a sunscreen with values 15, 30, 50, or 100 is actually only a measly 1%, and barely makes a difference in the grander scheme of things.
“Some sunscreen products are 100% waterproof.”
This is actually another overstatement that sunscreen labels have actually been throwing around, that might tend to be sensationalized.
It is scientifically not feasible to have a “100% waterproof” sunscreen product, because that would spell disaster for the pores on your skin upon application. Think severely clogged pores, acne, and all sorts of horrors that may befall skin deprived of oxygen.
The reapplication of sunscreen needs to be even more frequent if you want protection while being involved in water-related activities. It is highly recommended to reapply an adequate amount of sunscreen every 1 to 2 hours in this case.
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Needed: All-Round Protection
It is now apparent that sunscreen does offer the protection you need from the unforgiving rays of the sun, but only to a certain extent.
It is no miracle worker, and relying on just sunscreen does not adequately protect you from accelerated aging by way of photodamage. You might still get sunburnt, your skin might still be dry and give way to wrinkles, and you’re not immune from sunspots.
The best ways to protect your skin actually comes from within. Building up immunity against UV damage transcends mere topical protection.
Products like the Heliocare range provide protection from within orally, and make up for the limited coverage that sunscreen provides, beyond the outer layers of your skin.
Tested extensively and researched by the National Skin Centre of Singapore, Heliocare Oral increases the skin’s resistance against photodamage by a whopping 300%, and slows down skin aging by an impressive 55%, while repairing pre-existing cellular damage and premature aging.
It is essentially sunscreen you can eat, and not worry about the right amount to apply on your skin. Only available at a handful of aesthetic establishments islandwide, stocks are extremely limited for now… until everyone finds out about it, that is.
Another product you can count on to reverse the damage already dealt by the sun does not require you to be in the sun before you use it.
The Gene Therapy serum is more of a day and night cream, but what it does for your skin more than transcends the boundaries of your conventional day and night creams.
This product dives even deeper than your skin, right into the DNA, to repair DNA strands damaged by photodamage and environmental stressors, effectively replacing DNA that makes you age.
Think Benjamin Button, in the form of a bottle.
This product is available exclusively on the SW1 shop online and at SW1 Clinics in Singapore – but do give them a call before making your purchase… the last time I tried without doing that, they were all sold out!