The three key at-home skin care principles should be: Calibrated Cleansing, Vital Vitamins, and Proper Protection. Today we will focus on Proper Protection.

Proper Protection? It should be a no-brainer, yet most people still believe that daily sunscreen is the least important of the products to be purchased. In reality, sunscreens are the first line of treatment in hyperpigmentation and preventing aging! Sunscreens have become more complex and understanding the different forms of UVR is important:

• UVA: These are the longest rays, coolest rays and are present when there is light (even in rain or snow)! They penetrate the deepest, causing significant aging and also contributing to the development of melanoma.

• UVB: These medium-length rays are warm, prevalent in spring and summer, cause erythema (sunburn) and superficial skin cancers (Basal cell and Squamous cell).

Search for a broadband sunscreen (protects your skin from both UVA & UVB rays) to use daily before you leave the house.

Another thing to look for in a sunscreen? The ingredients, of course! Most sunscreens contain hormone-disrupting chemicals like oxybenzone. Marine biologists have suggested that this chemical in most humans’ sunscreen is partly responsible for the destruction of the Great Barrier Reef. This happens because oxybenzone is altering the hormones of the corals, thus making them unable to reproduce.

What’s the alternative? Look for a sunscreen that uses physical blocks (minerals) like zinc and titanium dioxide. These ingredients protect YOU from the sun, while protecting sea creatures from toxic chemicals.