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Slip, Slop, Slap




As the first post of a highly anticipated summer, I thought I would kick things off with a post of sunscreen. Not always the most exciting of topics, but definitely one that is extremely important during the summertime. 

When I am venturing outside, I always make sure to apply sunscreen to my face and shoulders to protect my particularly sensitive fair skin from the sun's damaging rays. I tend to burn after ten minutes in the hot Australian sun, so it is vital that I follow a sun care regime to protect me from the sun's damaging rays which potentially lead to premature ageing and harmful diseases including skin cancer.

I would just like to start off by saying that skin diseases from sun exposure are far more common in Australia than other countries. According to the Cancer Council, skin cancers rates are two to three times higher than the UK, US, and Canada and GPs across Australia treat one million patients with sun-caused skin cancers each year. This pretty darn alarming considering I live in Queensland, the skin cancer capital of the world. 

Keeping this in mind, my fair burn-prone skin needs special treatment from the harmful rays of the sun. For this, I highly recommend a sunscreen over an SPF of 30 as the Sun Protection Factor denotes the amount of time a person can be in the sun without burning. For example, an SPF of 15 will extend protection to 15 times the normal burn time (burning within 10 minutes normally with an SPF15 barrier means that they will not burn for 150 minutes). I personally like to apply on SPF50+ sunscreen as it filters 98% of UV radiation. 

It is also important to be protected from both UVA and UVB rays, so look for a sunscreen with broad spectrum coverage. UVA rays, previously thought to be harmless, are less intense than UVB but are 30-50 times more prevalent than UVB and are the culprits for sun-induced ageing. So make sure to grab a sunscreen for that filters both UVA and UVB rays.

My personal pick for sunscreen is from La Roche-Posay- their Extreme Fluid SPF50+ sunscreen. It has an extremely mild smell compared to other sunscreens and feels quite light on the skin without being overly greasy. I apply this after moisturising (people with oily-skin could opt for this alone as a moisturiser or a light day cream with a good SPF instead) and before my regular makeup routine. It is encouraged that a teaspoon of sunscreen is to be used for each limb exposed to the sun and a comparable amount is to be applied to the face. As I tend to wear a lot of cami-esque tops, I feel it is important to protect my shoulders, neck, and back from the sun as they also burn very fast. 

Always remember to slip on a shirt, slop on some sunscreen, and slap on a hat!

I'll leave you with this charming video:



2 comments:

  1. I wish we were in the middle of summer now, its so super cold were I life. I also love the la roche posey sun screens, they are great for oily acne prone skin!!

    http://allaboutevesbeauty.blogspot.co.uk/

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    1. I'm so jealous of everyone in a colder climate right now! Think of the hot drinks, festive sweaters, snow...
      I personally have normal/dry skin and this works well for me as it keeps my skin nice and hydrated so it's agreat all rounder then! x

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