Sun protection for your skin: how to enjoy the seaside without regrets
Ultraviolet light is the main external factor in skin ageing. How to use sunscreen properly and what to do after your holiday.
The sun lifts your mood and gives you vitamin D, but too much ultraviolet light damages the skin: it causes burns, pigment spots and dryness and speeds up wrinkles. According to WHO, UV radiation is the main risk factor for skin cancer. Yet protecting yourself is easy if you know a few rules.
How do you apply sunscreen correctly?
- Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen (UVA and UVB protection) with SPF 30 or higher.
- Apply 15 minutes before going out in the sun — generously: about a teaspoon for the face and neck.
- Reapply every 2 hours and after every swim or heavy sweating.
- Do not forget your ears, the back of the neck, your feet and lips (a lip balm with SPF).
How can you protect your skin from the sun besides sunscreen?
The best protection is a combination: shade between 11 am and 4 pm when the sun is strongest, a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses and light long-sleeved clothing. You can check the UV index in any weather app: at 3 or higher, you need protection.
How should you care for your skin after a holiday?
After sun and a flight the skin is usually dehydrated. Drink more water, use a moisturiser in the morning and a richer cream in the evening. If you get sunburnt, cool the skin with cool water, apply a soothing product and stay out of the sun until it heals.
For daily care after a holiday many of our clients choose the Alavida set — day nectar, night cream and eye cream — and complement it with Alavida patches, which support the skin's natural renewal. Another option is the Y-Age Glutathione patch: according to LifeWave, it improves the appearance of skin. How to build a morning and evening routine is described in "Alavida care: a morning and evening ritual".