Summer skin sun protection tips from Lorraine

Do you protect your skin from the sun all year?

Or just when you are skiing, cruising or lazing on the beach soaking up the rays?

Protect against sun ageing and skin cancer

“Relaxing and uplifting as the warm sun is, unprotected exposure causes your skin to age rapidly and can trigger skin cancer,” explains Clinic Founder and anti-ageing skin expert Lorraine Scrivener.

Shielding your face, neck and hands from the harmful rays of the sun every day of the year is one of the most effective ways to preserve your skin’s youthful look.

With our damp climate it’s easy to be dismissive of skin cancer, yet The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) confirm skin cancer continues to rise in the UK with over 100,000 people newly diagnosed with the disease every year.

Malignant Melanoma, the most deadly form of the disease, is the fastest rising common cancer and causes over 2,000 deaths in the UK each year. Most cases of melanoma are curable if detected early enough, but if diagnosis is delayed and the cancer spreads then your chances of surviving are greatly reduced.

Finding sun protection that sits comfortably with your make up without being shiny and oily can be a challenge. “I’m never without Brush on Block (B.O.B for short!). It’s a broad spectrum SPF 30 natural, mineral powder sunscreen with no chemical sunscreen ingredients and its own self-dispensing brush. Being translucent and non-greasy it’s easy to wear under makeup or reapply over makeup. BOB’s safe for children and sensitive skin, is cruelty-free and vegan-friendly and it doesn’t have any parabens.”

Reduce the ageing effects of the sun on your skin

These are my top tips for being out in the sun:

Look out for these skin cancer indicators

The BAD advises you to keep an eye out for these possible signs:

• A growth with a pearly rim surrounding a central crater, a bit like an upturned volcano
• A mole that is crusty or scabbed, or red, itchy or inflamed
• A mole that has got bigger and changed shape over time

You can find more detailed information on what to look for and self-examination here. Even though not all will be dangerous (and most aren’t), if you spot anything that looks unusual or out of the ordinary then have it checked out by a doctor.

Sunscreen protection know-how

“I use SPF 30 or higher on my face, neck and hands every day of the year and recommend clients to do the same,” advises Lorraine.

The labelling can be confusing on sun protection skin products so it pays to read it carefully. SPF is the Sun Protection Factor against UVB radiation. Quite simply the higher the number, the longer you can stay in the sun without burning. So, if you’re wearing SPF 30, you can stay in the sun 30 times longer than you could without any protection.

You also need to protect your skin against UVA rays. These are present even on cloudy days and age the skin by causing wrinkles, uneven pigmentation and some forms of skin cancer. The UVA rating is usually indicated by a number of stars on the bottle or a circle with UVA written inside it. Look for UVA rating of four or five stars for full protection.

Protect your hair when catching the rays

When protecting against the sun it’s easy to overlook our scalp and hair, explains Eleanor, Manager at TONI&GUY in Gloucester Road, Kensington.

“Protection isn’t just for those dreamy days on sun-drenched beaches. Daily exposure to sunshine in the UK can play havoc with your hair leaving it dry, brittle and damaged. Coloured hair is particularly vulnerable, with the sun causing colour fade to unprotected hair.

“For optimum protection and minimal damage cover up with a hat or scarf,” says Eleanor. “Not always a desirable option I know, so I advise my clients to use especially formulated sun protection products to guard against damaging UV rays. All label.m shampoos, conditioners and the Protein Spray contain our unique EnviroShield complex – a luxurious combination of Olive Oil, Avocado Oil, Barbados Cherry and powerful UV filters – to optimise shine and protect against heat styling, colour fade and UV rays.