Is Your Skin Prepared? Boots say treat it right!

One Nation Editor Andrew Howard caught up with Boots Suncare Scientific Advisor, Mike Brown to ask him “are we really doing enough to protect ourselves?”

What would you say is the most important part of our bodies that we might forget about protecting in the sun?

The areas that are really prone to burning because we forget to protect them are the top of the head (if thinning) the ears and the feet (particularly the soles).  We also seem to have trouble with our shoulders and back because they are difficult to get to and apply an even coating of sun product.  It’s a good idea to get a friend or partner to help with this.

With suncare now there are so many acronyms SPF, UVA and UVB what do they all stand for and what should we be looking out for more importantly?

SPF is ‘Sun Protection Factor’ and is simply an indication of how good the product is at preventing sunburn.  The bigger the number, the greater the protection and the less likely you are to burn using it.  UVA and UVB stand for Ultra-Violet ‘A’ and Ultraviolet ‘B’.  Ultraviolet light is the part of sunlight that reacts with living tissues and causes damage. UVA and UVB are artificial divisions created by biologists to describe how different parts of the ultraviolet cause different reactions in skin.  UVB is the region that causes most of the sunburn reaction in skin whilst UVA was originally considered to be the ’safe’ ultraviolet but is now know to be responsible for cumulative and long term damage.

How important is it to protect the scalp area and how is this best done?

The scalp is one of the most frequently burnt areas of the body since it is directly in-line with the overhead sun.  Because of this burning frequency, the scalp is also a common site for skin cancer in men so it should be well protected.  There are now a few products specifically designed for the hair and scalp which are light, quick drying, non greasy sprays. Try Soltan Hair and Scalp Protector.

Are their any advantages to a natural tan with correct skincare rather than sunbed treatments?

Unfortunately a tan is always a result of skin damage and it doesn’t really matter whether it comes from the sun or a sunbed.  Sunbeds tend to use only UVA to generate a tan and not UVB and some people believe that this is safer but this is probably not the case.  The best and safest tan is a self-tan.

Self-tan how has it come along in the last five years?

Self-tan has developed enormously in recent years.  There are new colour-modifiers that make the colour more natural and less orange and new technologies which encapsulate the actives to eliminate the characteristic odour that always used to be associated with fake-tans.  And finally new formulations aid spreading to reduce the possibility of concentrated dark areas.

I have just read about Optisol antioxidant technology can you explain it simply to our readers?

Optisol is a new form of titanium dioxide, a material used for years as a sunscreen.  Optisol has a built in additive that prevents the formation of free-radical molecules and neutralises existing free-radicals.  Free radicals are high energy molecules that are created by sunlight.  They can damage skin tissue and so by preventing them, Optisol reduces sunlight damage.  Since free-radicals cause their damage by a process of oxidation, materials that prevent this are called anti-oxidants.

Skin protection and swimming (waterproof products) do we really need not re-apply?

No product is 100% waterproof and so this is a term not now used on sunscreens.  Every product will eventually need to be reapplied after swimming, some more than others.  Conventional water resistant products need to be reapplied immediately after swimming but the new generation of products such as Soltan Once are designed to last longer and allow a longer period of time before reapplication.  For light activity an extended wear product should be fine but under extreme activity it will still need to be reapplied occasionally

How important is Aftersun in your regime of skincare?

Aftersuns are important because they are specifically designed to deal with sun-exposed skin.  They are extra-moisturising and tend to be of a lighter texture to aid application to skin that may be a little tender.  Unlike a daily moisturiser, aftersuns will also contain cooling and soothing ingredients such as aloe vera.

What would be your top 3 tips this summer?

- Try to limit your sun-exposure and use a self-tan for colour – Your skin will age less if you expose it to less sun
- Moisturise now ready for the summer – Its easier to keep your skin in good condition rather than repair it after the sun dries it
- Always use a product with high SPF and high UVA rating (preferably 5-star UVA rated) as this will provide the best protection from skin ageing

One Nation would like to thank Mike Brown, Boots Suncare Scientific Advisor

Visit www.boots.com

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