Aestheticians have a lot of skincare tips: Eat right. Get your vitamins. Take it easy on the alcohol. Take care of yourself. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate.
And there’s much more skin and wellness guidance you can read about in our blogs.
It’s our job! We don’t just offer skincare treatments in our Bradenton med spa. We want you to have the skincare products and knowledge that you can use everywhere else, too.
But we get it, it’s hard to follow every tip at once.
So we asked our team of certified aestheticians: “If you could magically give everyone one skincare habit they should follow daily, what would it be and why?”
And every one of them answered: “It would be using SPF!”
Sunscreen is the Top Skincare Habit Aestheticians Swear By
While there are many threats to your skin’s health, the sun is arguably the biggest and most ubiquitous. Virtually every person in the world is exposing at least some of their skin to the sun on a daily basis.
In addition to heat and visible light (ie the part of the light spectrum that we humans can see), the sun also exudes UV radiation. The more time you spend in the sun, the more UV radiation your skin is absorbing. And at certain times of day (usually between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.), the radiation is even more intense, which also escalates skin damage.
UV from the sun can cause painful, short-term damage (ie sunburn) as well as premature aging of the skin and other visible, long-term effects like wrinkles and sun spots. UV skin damage has been directly linked to melanoma, which is the deadliest type of skin cancer.
So the sun can very easily do short-term and long-term damage to our skin. Fortunately, the sun is also a skincare threat that we can do something about. And it’s a 30-second habit that will greatly inhibit sun damage—even when we’re not thinking about it or actively avoiding the sun.
What SPF Is
By “SPF” we’re specifically referring to a sunscreen or sunblock that you apply directly to your skin. Today’s sunblock is usually applied in a lotion, oil or spray form.
“SPF” means “sun protection factor.” This is the FDA-designated scale measuring how much protection you’re getting from sunburn-causing solar energy (UVB). The higher the SPF number, the more solar energy you’re protected from. (Keeping in mind that you’ll be exposed to more solar energy in less time if you’re outside at midday.) The FDA requires these sunscreen products to meet certain standards for effectiveness, as well as the accuracy of the SPF level on their label.
Why SPF is So Great
Using SPF is our No. 1 skincare habit because it’s such an easy action that affords major skincare benefits, both long-term and short-term. Once you know how and when to apply it, using sunscreen should be second-nature. You can do it every day without even thinking about it.
In short, sunscreen gives you a ton of bang for the blob.
How to Use SPF
- Choose an SPF product of 30 or higher. This is Bradenton, after all. We get a lot of sun.
- Use about 1 oz of sunscreen per application per person. That’s nearly a shot glass full.
- Apply sunscreen 15 minutes before going outside. This gives it enough time to work but not so much time that it will wear off.
- Reapply sunscreen every two hours—or sooner! If you’re spending a lot of time outdoors, two hours is the longest you should go between sunscreen applications. Reapply much more frequently if you’re sweating and/or swimming.
Remember these easy tips for using SPF properly, and you should have your very best skincare habit established in no time. Your aesthetician will thank you!
