Tag Archives: Sunscreen

Beauty Balms 101

What exactly is a beauty balm? First developed in Germany in the 1960’s under the name Blemish Balm, BB Creams were designed to streamline your beauty routine. This little product promises to do what six other tubes/bottles can do. Tinted moisturizer, sunscreen, primer, concealer, foundation and skin serum. BB Creams began picking up steam in South Korea and soon became a sensation across Asia. However, Beauty Balms did not work their way to the United States until about 2011. Now you find every cosmetic brand has their version of a beauty balm. The idea of a beauty balm is a great idea, and for the most part does a great job of evening your skin and moisturizing. However, if you are planning to use a beauty balm as your daily sunscreen, I recommend using an additional facial sunscreen to protect your skin. And don’t forget to put your sunscreen on last, which is a common made. Also, some women who are prone to oily skin or acne might find a beauty balm is not for them. Just like any new beauty product, if you are expecting a “miracle” you might find yourself feeling a little disillusioned. However, women who apply moisturizer, sunscreen, primer and foundation every morning might find a BB Cream to be a warm welcome to their makeup regimen. Just keep in mind that not all BB Creams are created equal, so you may have to search to find the BB Cream that is right for you.

Sunburn Relief 101

So you did it…you burned yourself crispy. You don’t need the guilt trip associated with three to four days of discomfort and several days of peeling ahead. We have all heard that dreaded phrase “you should have used sunscreen” and hopefully you learned your lesson. Now you need a course of action to prevent/minimize the pain and peeling associated with your sunburn.

Milk – Soak a small towel in cold milk and lightly pat the cloth on the effected areas. This is probably the most cost effective and quickest methods to easing your sunburn pain, while simultaneously creating a layer of protein to protect your skin and help it heal.

Yogurt – Also milk based, yogurt holds large amounts of probiotics and enzymes that help heal a sunburn. Be sure to use plain live cultured yogurt when applying to the burn. Let the yogurt sit for five minutes on the skin before rinsing off with cool or luke-warm water.

Aloe Vera – This treatment has been around forever, but it still works as effectively as ever. Aloe vera cools and alleviates immediate pain, while also helping to remove the redness from your sunburn.

Cucumber Slices or Paste – Place cucumber slices on sunburned areas can help soothe burned skin. This miracle vegetable not only helps to relieve the burn but is loaded with antioxidants to promote healing. If you plan on making a cucumber paste in the blender you can also add some aloe vera to the mixture for additional soothing properties.

Hydrate – You literally just burnt your skin, so there is a good chance you are somewhat dehydrated as well. Your sunburn has also dried your skin out. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water during this time to heal your skin.

There are dozens of other ways to help limit pain and discomfort identified with your sunburn. These are just a few of the treatments I have chosen today. Potato, witch hazel, oatmeal, apple cider vinegar and mint are just a few of the others I did not have time to touch today. Just keep in mind the true prevention to a sunburn is to apply sunscreen regularly.

Preparing For Those Summer Elements

As the temperatures begin to rise I am sure you’ll be spending more time outside, which means you will also be needing to protect that beautiful skin of yours. It is okay to have fun in the sun, but you also owe it to yourself to treat your skin graciously.

So what do you need to protect your skin from the outside elements? Sunscreen is not just for a day at the water-park, lake or beach. If you plan on being outside longer than 15-30 minutes, you should be applying sunscreen. Sun damage can happen anytime your skin is exposed to the outside. The sun can also do more harm than an uncomfortable sunburn. The longterm effects of sun damage can cause brown spots, skin cancer, early wrinkling and the list goes on. This means every part of your body that is exposed to the elements needs to be coated. Your body, face and even your lips. A good rule of thumb is to apply sunscreen every one to two hours. If you are planning on being in the water or sweating, your probably want to be safe and reapply every hour. When selecting your sunscreen you should be buying a sunscreen that offers protection from UVA and UVB rays, with a minimum protection of SPF 30. You are going to receive the most sun between 10:00am and 4:00pm. I personally know the sun cannot be avoided at all times, but during peak hours there are ways to limit your sun exposure. Place yourself in a shady area as much as possible, or wear a rashguard and hat when in the sun for prolonged period. This will protect you from wind exposure as well. And finally, after a long day of sand, chlorine, salt, wind, sunscreen and insect repellant it is best to use a gentle cleaner with a exfoliant to clean away the days pollutants.

All in all, sunlight is not bad for us. Not only does it offer our daily does of vitamin D, it harbors many other benefits to our health. However, we just need to be conscious of its full power.