We love a good dose of Vitamin D just as much as the next person, but when we discovered that around two in three Australian’s will be diagnosed with skin cancer by the age of 70, well, we began to think carefully about three very important letters.
Skin cancer is the single most common cancer in Australians aged 15-44. This age bracket also happens to be one of the skin’s most vulnerable stages, where prevention plays a crucial role when it comes to maintaining a youthful appearance.
Without everyday protection from the sun’s harsh rays, as well as skin cancers, one can expect a loss of elasticity, wrinkles, discolouration and even age spots to appear on your skin.
We sat down with Woman’s Day’s skincare guru and Acting Beauty Editor, Kelsey Ferencak, to find out exactly how slipping, slopping and slapping everyday can keep your skin healthy and youthful.
So if you want supple skin, smooth lips, and a clear complexion, then you better keep reading!
Daily application of SPF can help slow the skin’s aging process, just take it from Salma Hayek who’s barely aged in over 20 years!
1. Fight off lines and wrinkles
“From fine lines to deeper creases, UV rays are the culprit – especially when you’re squinty from the glare and getting burnt at the same time!” says our expert.
Kelsey recommends using a high dose of SPF on the daily – “we’re talking 50+”, to help combat further damage and premature aging.
“Plus, it’s a good excuse to splurge on a new hat,” she says.
Sunburn causes 95% of melanomas, the most deadly form of skin cancer.
2. Avoid age spots
Age spots, or solar lentigines, are the result of an excess production of melanin, or skin pigment, and usually occur on areas that face overexposure to UV rays.
“Usually the damage is already done – any previous sun exposure, even from 20 years ago can lead to further spots,” says out beauty guru.
In order to ward off future blemishes, Kelsey recommends applying a daily SPF to areas that often catch the sun, like your face, but also other key areas such as “hands, feet, chest and neck.”
3. Prevent pigmentation
A whopping 62 per cent of Australian women cite pigmentation as a beauty concern, so if you’re bothered by uneven tone or patchy skin on the face, decolletage, shoulders, hands or feet, you could well make up part of this percentile.
“Similar to age spots, pigmentation creeps up after exposure to UVA rays and could even have been caused from a young age.”
In order to help avoid this, Kelsey suggests to “look for sunscreen with UVA protection and stay out the spotlight if you’ve recently undergone an irritating skin treatment like waxing, peels or laser as it can make you more prone to patchy, damaged skin.”
“It has always been pretty simple. I simply apply some sunscreen, use a little blush and lip gloss, and I’m out the door,” 37-year-old Kate Hudson says of her makeup routine.
4. Keeps lips luscious
We bet you hadn’t thought about this one before!
Lips have an extremely thin outer protective layer, so without proper attention and care, the lips can develop fine lines and age significantly faster than other areas of the skin.
“Your pout is probably one of the most neglected areas of your body when it comes to sun protection, but it’s also one of the most exposed,” explains Kelsey.
“Wearing a lip balm with an SPF not only keeps lips protected and hydrated, but supple and younger looking too.”
SPF-containing lip balms will help keep that pout pert!
5. Improve skin texture
“No one wants to look like a tanned leather handbag, but if you’re sunning yourself silly, chances are this is the way you’re headed,” our expert aptly puts it.
She recommends a formula that has stood the test of time – wear 1 teaspoon on SPF on each body part (the face, arms, legs and so on), and remember to reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming.
“Protecting your skin means you’ll have a nicer, healthier skin texture and tone resulting in a complexion that looks younger, hydrated and supple.”
BONUS BEAUTY TIP:
Want a summer glow? Fake it ‘til you make it!
You can still achieve a healthy, golden complexion without damaging your skin. How? Go for a fake tan or bronzer!
“New-and-improved formulations keep your colouring natural, not orange and there’s even products on the market with no scent or stickiness.”
WATCH: Kylie Jenner’s guide to fake tan in the video player below.
