Blog: Everything Under the Sun
Face, Body and Lip Sunscreen… What’s the Difference?
Can I use the same SPF on face, body and lips? All dermatologists recommend wearing sunscreen and reapplying it within a few hours to keep your skin protected from harmful sun rays. Beyond reapplication, it’s also important to think about the areas that often get forgotten… and which ones are the most important. Our faces are definitely the most exposed parts of our bodies. They are at a higher risk of absorbing UV rays. If you haven’t checked out our other blog, ‘Different types of UV rays’, the rays that mostly contribute to the damage dealt to your skin are UVA and UVB rays. These rays contribute to the UV radiation being absorbed on your skin due to their penetration capabilities and may cause short-term and long-term damage to your skin ranging from sunburns to more serious consequences. Too much exposure to these UV rays causes premature aging such as dryer skin, fine lines, wrinkles, and impaired pigmentation. With that in mind, the skin on our lips is also very sensitive, more sensitive than you might think, making it prone to damage from sun exposure. That damage can gradually break down collagen and result in thinning, drying, and cracked lips. So what can you do? First of all, make sure you have your sunscreen handy. It's ok and safe to use 'Face' sunscreen on your body and vice versa. A Body lotion with SPF will most likely include a hydrating component like Ceramides. Our Mineral Moisture Defense is formulated that way and will give you the extra hydration you might need on your body. It locks in moisture by helping the skin’s natural lipid barrier with a unique blend of Ceramides and humectants. You can also use it on your face, just keep in mind that it has that extra hydration component, which may be good if your skin is on the dryer side. What about lips? Your lips need more physical protection from the sun and the wind than the rest of the face. They also get wet throughout the day, and may be exposed to irritants. Our lip balm contains oil and waxes to ensure that the sun protection element stays on top of the lips to create a barrier against all those environmental stressors. The idea is to create a nourishing cushion that stays on top of the lips to prevent water loss (transepidermal water loss). Some of the oils and humectants get absorbed in the lips and help to keep them soft and supple, while the SPF stays on the surface and protects them from the sun, potential water loss and other environmental stressors. Last but not least, as Dr Britt Craiglow pointed out in our 'Sunscreen for Kids' blog, make sure every area of exposed skin is covered with SPF. Think of the unusual areas like behind the ears, the neck, hands and feet of course. For those areas, our regular or tinted stick are great options for last minute or ‘on the go’ application/reapplication. USING YOUR FSA/HSA DOLLARS TO BUY SPF: Using sunscreen regularly may prevent skin cancer and decrease the effects of aging. Dermatologists generally recommend using a broad-spectrum sunscreen, meaning it covers both UVA and UVB rays. This is why Sunscreens that are SPF 15 and above and provide broad spectrum protection are covered under FSA/HSA dollars. We recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF 30 or higher, and to wear it any time you're going outside, even during the winter or on a cloudy day! Head over to FSAstore.com now before the December deadline to use your FSA/HSA dollars.
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7 steps to perfect SPF application
Even in our Covid world, life can be a fast-paced rat race of whirlwind coffee runs, online school or school drop offs, and zoom meetings – seemingly leaving no room for skincare. And besides, sunscreen is just for summer, right? Not quite… SPF is the first, most important step in anti-aging, and it’s necessary every day – even inside (wrinkle-creating UVA rays shine right through windows) and even in the winter (UVA remains strong all year long). But don’t worry – gone are the days of sticky, goopy sunscreen. Our SPF products fit right into your routine and lifestyles, with luxurious textures you’ll actually want to wear. There’s no reason to drop everything and reinvent the wheel to introduce sun protection into your day, but it’s certainly important to make sure it’s in your routine. Your skin will love you for it, we know it. If you’re already using sunscreen every day in a BB crème, foundation or moisturizer, you’ve taken the first step to keeping your skin safe and beautiful! However, you may not be applying it close enough to your hairline, or on your neck, ears or chest, and it may only have SPF 15 protection. “The absolute minimum SPF you need to wear on your face every day—even if you’re just sitting in an office or a classroom until dusk—is SPF 30,” says Dr. Mona Gohara (Allure). Beyond that, make sure that your product is broad spectrum – meaning that it will protect you from both the burning UVB rays and aging UVA rays. If it doesn’t say “broad spectrum” – your sunscreen is only doing half the work. Sure, saving ourselves from sunburn is important, but the ‘Future You’ will be oh-so pleased that you’ve been preventing wrinkles and age spots all along. Mapping out your face (or other desired areas) to ensure that you cover fully with sunscreen is important, and we’ve developed a 7 steps checklist to help you get the most of your sunscreen! 1. Be Generous According to The American Academy of Dermatology, most people only apply 25-50% of the recommended amount. “A dab’ll do ya” doesn’t work so well when it comes to sunscreen. It’s important to make sure that you’re covering every area – we’ve all fallen victim to splotchy sunburn. Everyone is different, but NYU School of Medicine dermatology professor and NYC dermatologist Dr. Elizabeth Hale suggests you apply at least “a nickel-sized dollop to the face alone” and approximate a shot-glass full for exposed areas of the body (the equivalent of 2 tablespoons). 2. Check yourself in a mirror Watch yourself in the mirror during application, taking care to apply evenly and hit easy-to-miss spots like ears, your hairline, or neck. If the sun sees it, it’s susceptible to sun damage. We can try and feel our way through sunscreen application, but seeing is believing. Apply in small areas and only move onto the next body part once you are sure that you’ve applied enough that the area you’re focusing on is completely covered. 3. Apply before you leave the house Sunscreen should be applied at least 15 minutes before sun exposure. Chemical formulations take this amount of time to reach their full protection potential. While mineral sunscreens begin working immediately, to create good habits we always suggest applying before heading outdoors. Plan ahead! Chances are you won’t find a mirror outdoors, so be sure to apply consciously and carefully. If you wait until you’re outside to start spraying on your sunscreen, you’ve actually exposed your skin to the sun’s harmful rays for at least 15 minutes, which for some, is enough time to get badly sunburned, and upping your chances for melanoma or skin cancer later on. 4. Massage it in Gently massage the product onto skin to ensure proper blending. When applied in the mapped sections of the face, the product does blend more evenly, without leaving behind any white cast. Blending the map points together lightly is all it’ll take for the crème to cover skin evenly; if you feel you need more product, map and blend again! Mineral formulations sit on top of the skin’s surface, so they’re historically known to be a bit tougher to blend in. If you try and rub a large amount of mineral sunscreen onto a small area, it’s much more difficult for the product to blend. 5. SPF over makeup works Apply over makeup as a mattifying finishing touch or to make reapplication easy during the day. If you apply sunscreen in the morning, that’s a great first step to healthier skin; but even the most powerful sunscreen won’t last all day. You can reapply directly over foundation, bronzer, and blush – blend gently, and your makeup should stay in place. 6. Under makeup works too! Worn alone or underneath foundation, the matte finish of our mineral formulations makes them great primers, like the Mineral Crème SPF 50. The texture smooths over skin providing a blurring, “Instagram filter” effect to the skin, and with a matte finish – your foundation will set beautifully on top. If mineral formulas aren’t your favorite, our Daily Perfecting Moisturizer SPF 30 keeps skin looking dewy and refreshed, while keeping makeup in place. 7. Reapply Try to reapply at least every 2 hours and immediately after swimming, sweating or towel drying. Although most of our formulas are water resistant for 80 minutes –reapply after you’ve dried off to ensure that you’re getting the full protection promised by the sunscreen. Shop our full collection of skincare and sunscreen products here.
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Chemical VS. Mineral Sunscreens
Sunscreen is sunscreen, right? Well… not really. There are two distinct forms of sunscreen that protect you in two different ways. Understanding the dangers of the sun’s radiation is important because it allows you to take the proper steps towards complete protection, but understanding how you are protected can be just as important. Finding “Broad Spectrum” on the front of your sunscreen is a must, but what should you look for on the back? What is the difference between chemical and mineral sunscreens? What do sunscreens and cough syrups have in common? No, it’s not the fact that drinking an entire bottle is a bad idea. Actually, drinking any amount of sunscreen is a bad idea. Just to be clear: do not drink sunscreen. So what is the similarity here? Both products are considered over-the-counter drugs. This means that there is a very important section on the back of your sunscreen labeled “Active Ingredients”. The active ingredients are what make a formula a sunscreen. They are the shield that guards you from the sun’s harmful rays. The active ingredients allow you to take that run or that swim without worrying about sun damage. So now that we’ve established what they do, let’s talk a little bit about how they do it. Mineral There are only two active ingredients that fall under the category of mineral sunscreens: Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide. When most people think of the earliest sunscreens, the image of a lifeguard with a white paste on his or her nose comes to mind. That white paste was a mineral sunscreen made of crushed Zinc Oxide. This early remedy was unattractive, but surprisingly effective. Mineral sunscreens do not penetrate the skin. Instead, the active ingredients sit on the top layer of skin and deflect the sun’s rays. This is why that lifeguard never could get that paste to rub in. Zinc is a fantastic sunscreen. It is naturally broad spectrum, meaning it protects against UVA and UVB rays. So why didn’t sunscreens always use mineral actives? It all comes back to that lifeguard’s nose. Nobody knew how to make a mineral product that wouldn’t make you look like a ghost (not the best beach look). The unattractive whitening effect caused people to search out a new method of sun protection, leading to the rise of chemical sunscreens. Today’s mineral active ingredients can be micronized, which is a fancy way of saying we figured out how to crush things even smaller. This allows the most recent products to reduce and eliminate that unappealing whitening effect. Chemical Chemical sunscreens are by far the most prevalent products out there. They protect you from the sun by penetrating the skin and absorbing UV light, kind of like a sponge. Chemical sunscreens solved the whitening problem that plagued early mineral sunscreens, and immediately became the norm. Because chemicals do not sit on top of the skin like minerals, they can be paired with moisturizers that need to penetrate skin to be effective. Despite these advantages, chemical sunscreens do have some limitations. There are no chemicals that can cover the full spectrum (UVA + UVB) by themselves. Each one specializes in a specific segment of the spectrum, which means that they need to be combined with other chemicals to achieve broad spectrum protection. While this is not necessarily a bad thing, the need for more ingredients has led to the use of chemicals that some consider controversial. Oxybenzone, PABA and octinoxate, for example, are common skin irritants. These chemicals can cause sensitivity in at least 10% of the population, but are still among the most commonly used ingredients. Not all chemical sunscreens, however, are considered controversial. Avobenzone is effective at covering the entire UVA spectrum, but needs to be combined with other chemical ingredients to provide broad spectrum protection. The good news is that Avobenzone can be stabilized so that it does not break down in the sun. Brands sometimes prefer stabilized chemicals when they are trying to achieve a certain feel in a formula. Which One is Best? Unfortunately, it’s not that simple. Some mineral and chemical actives can be used together in sunscreens. While these can be effective, they are often misleading. Lots of products have “Mineral” in their title, but are actually hybrids. Take a look at the back of your sunscreen package. In order for something to be fully mineral, the only two active ingredients allowed are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. While minerals are generally considered safer and more effective, you don’t have to get scared off by chemical sunscreens. Be a discerning consumer. Safer sun protection is easy when you know what to look for. Check out the chart below and visit our sunscreen page for more information on our Mineral/Physical and Chemical sunscreens. Now that you're an expert on physical and chemical sunscreens, head over to our 'UV rays' blog to learn about UVA, UVB and UVC rays.
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Five Questions with Dr Dray
Dr Dray is a Board Certified Dermatologist and skincare enthusiast based in Houston, TX. She has built a strong presence on Youtube and other social media platforms where she answers her followers' most pressing skincare questions. 1. What is your favorite thing about your job?I like helping patients understand their skin conditions so that they can better manage triggers and modify their skin care routines accordingly. When it comes to chronic diseases, knowledge is power and patients like being able to take control of their skin issues beyond their medications. 2. If you could make all your patients pick up one skincare habit, what would it be? Sunscreen! It makes the biggest difference long term. 3. And if you could make them drop one bad skincare habit, what would it be? Tanning. Nothing destroys the skin faster than a sun tan or a trip to the tanning bed. What are the best skincare routines for the 3 main life stages: 20s, 30s-40s, 50+? Sunscreen, moisturizer, cleanser. Keeping things simple is the best thing for skin across all age groups and is the most sustainable. What is your goal on Tik Tok next year 😊? Or what do you most enjoy about Tik Tok? The TikTok audience is a younger demographic compared to those who follow me on Instagram and Youtube. I hope to tap into this group to influence them to protect their skin from the sun. The younger these habits start, the greater the long term benefits. Dr Dray sums it up best in her bio, "don't forget to sunscreen and subscribe for more!": https://www.youtube.com/c/DrDrayzday/featured https://www.instagram.com/drdrayzday/ https://www.facebook.com/DrDrayzDay/ Check out our other 5 Questions with a Dermatologist blog featuring Dr. Tomassian.
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Q&A with Dr. Tomassian
Q: What is your favorite thing about your job?A: One thing I truly love about my job is that I can help make changes to someone's skin, skincare routine, or skin disease that helps heal them physically, emotionally, and mentally. It is important for me to help my patients feel their most confident in their own skin. Each patient is so unique and I try my best to help them all individually. Q: If you could make all your patients pick up one skincare habit, what would it be?A: If there is one thing I can ask all my patients to do in regards to their skincare routine it would be applying quality sunscreen (at least SPF 30) every single day. Wearing sunscreen every day not only helps prevent skin cancer but also helps prevent and reduce the appearance of dark spots and wrinkles. Q: And if you could make them drop one bad skincare habit, what would it be?A: Unfortunately, there is a long list of bad skincare habits I wish I could enforce. However, if I had to pick the worst it would be applying products that you don't understand and don't need for your skin. So many people are buying skincare products just because they "look good", send trendy, or have seen someone else use them. Many times adding more than one product into your skin care routine can actually irritate your skin or make your skin worse. Understanding what your skin needs is the first and most important step for a successful skincare routine. Be cautious and careful with what products you start incorporating into your skincare routine. Sometimes, less is more. Q: What are the best skincare routines for the 3 main life stages: 20s, 30s-40s, 50+A: 20s: Cleanser, basic moisturizer, Sunscreen 30s: Cleanser, Vitamin C, Moisturizer, Sunscreen, Retinoid 50 +: Cleanser, Vitamin C, Sunscreen, Retinoid and incorporating a moisturizer with Alpha Hydroxy acids such as lactic acid to help thicken thin skin. Q: What is your goal on Tik Tok next year 😊? Or what do you most enjoy about Tik Tok?A: My goal with my TikTok platform for 2021 is the same as when I started TikTok in April 2020. I want to create valuable, science-based skincare videos that are accessible for everyone. My intention from day one is to make relatable, digestible, and science-based content. It's also very fun for me! I enjoy interacting with users as well as fellow dermatologists. It is so motivating for me to see the results of my content come to fruition. If you have purchased any products you love, changed anything in your skincare routine or have learned anything new about skincare because of my content, please tag me in a post or DM me at @dr.tomassian!
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5 ways to stay winter sun-safe with your FSA
When the days start getting shorter and the temperatures drop, we’ll forgive you if one of the last thoughts on your mind is your sun care regimen! But if you ask any dermatologist, he or she will tell you that winter is not the time to rest on your laurels when it comes to sun care. Creating a year-round sun care regimen is essential to helping reduce your risk of skin cancer, skin damage, and other potential long-term issues that can affect your skin. The sun’s rays are also the main cause for skin aging, so your SPF is really your anti-aging first step. The American Academy of Dermatology Association (AADA) backs this up as well. The AADA recommends sunscreen use every day if you will be outside. They go on to say, “The sun emits harmful UV rays year-round. Even on cloudy days, up to 80 percent of the sun’s harmful UV rays can penetrate your skin.” Thankfully, if you are interested in boosting your daily sun care regimen, your FSA gives you a massive advantage. Luckily, many of your favorite MDSolarSciences sun care products are covered by an FSA or HSA. So if it’s time to up your winter sun care regimen, use your tax-free funds first! How FSAs make sun care safer Shopping for eligible sun protection products with your FSA should always be your first move. The fact is, eligibility requirements for FSA eligible sun care products can help eliminate products that may not be as effective. For a sun care product to be FSA eligible, it must utilize a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15 or above, and provide broad-spectrum protection against UVA and UVB rays. So as you work more sun care practices into your daily routine, shopping with your FSA first can ensure that you have a solid foundation to build on. Here are a few FSA-friendly winter sun safety tips that can help you maximize the potential of your FSA dollars and protect you and your family from UV rays every day. 1. Consult the weather and activity level when shopping sunscreen When you’re building a year-round sun care regimen, think about how your skin reacts to different weather conditions. Does your skin tend to dry out in the winter months? Is it more oily during the summer months? Pay particular attention to the ingredients in your sunscreen and use the one that is best for the conditions on that day. For instance, if it’s going to be a windy, dry afternoon, go with a daily SPF with a built-in moisturizer that uses ingredients like lanolin or glycerine. If you’re going to be active and build up a sweat, opting for a water-resistant sunscreen of 80 minutes (highest-level) may be the better option. When in doubt, pick the sun care product that is best for what you’ll be doing and where you’ll be heading. MDSolarSciences Pick: Daily Wear SPF 30 Moisturizing Sunscreen 2. Pay attention to altitude Skiing and snowboarding rule the roost of winter activities, and if you’ve ever spent a day on the slopes without any sunscreen, you may have endured your share of cold weather sunburns. According to the University of Texas MD Anderson Center, the sun’s rays are more damaging at higher altitudes as less UV radiation is filtered out, while the snow on ski slopes has the potential to reflect up to 80 percent of the sun’s rays. Always apply sunscreen on exposed areas before you hit the slopes, and be sure to reapply throughout the day. A pure mineral sunscreen that forms a physical barrier on the skin surface also affords a level of protection against windburns. MDSolarSciences Pick: Mineral Creme Broad Spectrum SPF 50 3. Don’t forget lip sun care! If chapped, dry lips are a fact of life for you during the winter months, regular sun protection may be the answer you’re looking for. Your FSA also covers sun protective lip balm (SPF 15 or above and broad-spectrum) that will stop your lips from drying out due to sun damage and wind burn, while nourishing the underlying skin layers with active ingredients like aloe vera and other essential oils. Apply throughout the day to keep your lips hydrated and healthy and safeguarded from the sun’s rays. MDSolarSciences Pick: Hydrating Sheer Lip Balm SPF 30 Trio 4. Don’t skip sun care on cloudy days Cloudy and rainy days mean you can slack a little bit on your sun care regimen, right? In reality, even during overcast days, UV rays will reach the Earth’s surface and your skin. In fact, the MD Anderson Center reports that some studies have shown that cloudy days could even be worse for UV levels during an effect called cloud enhancement of UV radiation. This refers to when the sun’s beams reflect off the sides of clouds causing radiation to be more focused and dangerous. So even if rain is in the forecast in the future, stick to your sun care plan! MDSolarSciences Pick: Quick Dry Body Spray SPF 405. Are your eyes protected? Finally, winter sun care means more than just sunscreen! While sunscreen needs to be applied around the sensitive eye area that is prone to skin cancers; your eyes are also susceptible to internal damage from the sun’s rays. Even long-term health issues like melanoma and cataracts can arise in the eyes without proper sun protection. If it’s time to invest in a new pair of prescription sunglasses, your FSA covers that too! Look for designs that have additional protection on the sides of the face to block out UV rays that may enter from the side. And if you’re going to be skiing or snowboarding in the future, be sure to wear goggles or another form of wrap-around eye wear to keep your eyes protected. Unfortunately, your ski goggles aren’t covered by your FSA! Year-round sun care is not just a smart choice for your overall skin health, it could help you avoid potentially dangerous skin cancers and other conditions that could arise from excessive UV exposure. Whether you have excess funds to spend before your FSA deadline, or you’re simply looking to fully maximize your FSA’s potential, proper sun care is one of the best choices you can make for your health now and into the future.
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Pregnancy, Motherhood & Skincare
A few months ago, we reached out to Jayme Squires to collaborate on Kid content. We loved the look and feel of her Instagram (make sure you follow her to see what we are talking about)! Originally, we sent Jayme our Kid products - KidCréme SPF 50 and KidStick SPF 40. She wanted to get a chance to test them, look at the ingredients and experience how they worked. We knew Jayme was expecting and busy with a toddler. We added a few goodies to our package, including our new Hydrating Sheer Lip Balm SPF 30 and our best-selling MD Mineral BB Créme SPF 50. When Jayme connected with us a few weeks back, she said she was ready to share some content, and it turned out it was all about the Skincare product we sent along… I think we can say that she fell in love with our Beauty Balm. During pregnancy, your skin can become more sensitive to the sun with some women developing the ‘mask of pregnancy’ or melasma. It is very important to protect your skin from the sun to avoid this or the development of any dark spots. And since you want to be on the safe side, dermatologists tend to recommend a mineral or physical sunscreen. This is because mineral or physical sunscreens sit on top of the skin and do not penetrate it. You also want to select a product that has a Broad-Spectrum formula blocking both UVA and UVB rays; and choose products that have an SPF of 30 or higher. Jayme has freckles and has a tendency to get melasma so she was interested in a product with SPF that would help her prevent these pregnancy side effects. As a busy new mom, any shortcuts and timesavers are greatly appreciated! MDSS’ Beauty Balm is a tinted BB crème with SPF in a formula packed with amazing ingredients that help improve the quality of skin over time. Instead of using 2-3 products, use Beauty Balm and you’re done, giving you back more time to spend with your little ones or some precious ‘me time’! This might be why Jayme enjoyed using Beauty Balm so much 😊. Here’s how it works: Beauty Balm comes in 2 universally flattering sheer shades that blend in seamlessly, priming skin perfectly and giving you the option to add makeup or go without. Add blush, mascara and lip tint and you are ready for the day (or night). It’s packed with antioxidants including CoQ10 and Green Tea to help fight free radicals. It contains Niacinamide and Caffeine, 2 ingredients known to help calm and repair skin, and suitable for all skin types. It also includes Squalane, a lightweight moisturizer that has anti-inflammatory properties. As Jayme put it recently:To follow Jayme, head to @jaymesquires. To learn more about how to pick Sunscreen for Kids, check out our blog post based on our Instagram Live with Dr Britt Craiglow, Pediatric Dermatologist.
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Different Types of UV Rays
UVA, UVB, & UVC Let’s talk Solar facts! Ever imagine how something so far can affect us all? The Sun emits sunlight in a form of rays that reach 150 million kilometers from the Earth. Sunlight gives out ultraviolet (UV) radiation that poses different effects on our skin and we’re gonna tell you all about the ABC’s of UV. The “A” in UVA stands for “Aging” Ultraviolet Aging (UVA) rays have the longest wavelengths out of all the three. It accounts for approximately 95 percent of the UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface according to the World Health Organization (WHO). Since UVA rays are highly penetrative, they can get into the deeper layers of the skin and can contribute to premature aging. The “B” in UVB stands for “Burning” Ultraviolet Burning (UVB) rays have Medium-wavelength and account for 5% of UV radiation reaching the Earth's surface. UVB rays can only reach the skin’s surface. It may not be as highly penetrative as UVA rays but long exposure to them can make as much damage. UVB rays are mostly responsible for sunburns and may have a delayed effect with long-term exposure that may even cause skin cancer. The “C” in UVC stands for “Cataracts” Ultraviolet Cataracts (UVC) rays have the shortest wavelengths and highest energy levels of the three types of UV rays. This means that it can cause serious damage to all life forms. On the bright side, UVC radiation is all filtered-out by the ozone layer and these rays from the sun never reach the ground. However, man-made sources of these rays do pose damage ranging from severe burns of the skin to eye injuries. Hence, staring at the sun too long may give you cataracts or permanent blindness. Knowing these ABC’s, how can you protect yourself? Avoid long-term exposure to the sun! It’s nice to soak up vitamin D every once in a while, but too much may be too bad for you. Keep your skin protected by covering up with some light-clothing and pair it up with your favorite sunglasses and hat! Also, remember to soak up on Sunscreen with the right amount of sun protection factor (SPF). Here at MDSolarSciences, we stand behind our science-backed formulas that were developed by dermatologists and continue to be recommended by some of the top skincare experts in the country. Check out our blog Skincare Routines to know the best routine depending on your skin type!
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Sunscreen for Kids
What you need to know when picking SPF for your kids…. and more! A few weeks back, we presented an Instagram Live with Dr Britt Craiglow. She is a widely recognized expert in pediatric dermatology. She has authored over fifty publications, speaks at national and international conferences, and has served as an investigator on numerous clinical trials. She practices in Fairfield, CT if you are lucky enough to live in the area. You can also find her on Tik Tok @dermdrbritt. We loved our Instagram Live with Dr Britt so much that we decided to turn it into a blog. If you prefer to watch the IG Live, head over to Instagram, the episode is saved in the IGTV icon. Why is Sunscreen important to you? My kids get the importance of sunscreen (4 and 6). From the beginning, we have been very rigorous about skincare. Last year, I realized how much. My then 4-year old came to me and said ‘can you get my Legos from the driveway’ and I asked him why he could not get them himself. He replied ‘I don’t have sunscreen on!’ Maybe we have done too good of a job!! One of the things I tell parents is to ‘make it part of your routine from the beginning’. My kids know we don’t go out or play outside without protection, sunscreen, a rash guard. Now that they are older, I let them participate, choose the one they want to use, put it on themselves. It’s really like wearing helmets on a ski slope, no one did that when I was growing up. Now everyone wears a helmet skiing. And same thing for sunscreen. It’s what their friends do too, so it’s easier when they do what their friends are doing too. Wear sunscreen, a hat, a rash guard. As a dermatologist and a mom, what is the key thing to look for when picking out SPF for kids? My number one rule is “The best sunscreen is the one they will wear!” As dermatologists, we like sunscreens that are at least SPF 30 or more, that is water resistant and in general, for kids, I prefer physical blockers or mineral blockers which contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. I often say look for zinc and/or titanium and you will be ok. I don’t love the aerosol sunscreens because the application may not be sufficient. People should use the equivalent of a shot glass of sunscreen to cover their whole body. What do you recommend for a beach day with kids in terms of clothes/bathing suits? I love rash guards or long sleeve UPF clothing. The more you can cover with clothing the better. Make sure they wear a hat as the scalp is a place we see a lot of skin cancer in older patients. Rash guards or full-on suits for littler kids. And make sure to reapply every couple of hours and on the important areas – top of the ears, back of the hands, feet, behind the knees, you want to cover every square inch of exposed skin. Sticks or Crème? My boys like the sticks a lot, especially for the face. You need to make sure you cover every square inch. They are great for getting the nose. The crèmes can feel nice too if they are well engineered like MDSolarSciences’. Any tips for application on kids? The earlier you start and make it part of your routine, the more they get used to it. I also like to tie something to it, ‘when you have your sunscreen on, you can do ____.” Also let them participate, choose where to put it on first, give them a little control over the situation. Or put a big blob on their face and take a funny picture. Once you get through the younger years, it becomes relatively easy, especially if they have something they want to do afterwards – go to the beach, to the pool, play outside… However creative you have to be, make it happen, make a little game of it – you can use a beauty blender if you want, that can be fun. I have had multiple skin cancers so our family does not stay out on the beach for hours, but it’s hard when they are having fun to remember to reapply. It’s important to reapply every 2 hours or if they have been in the water for a long time, or are sweating a lot. Always err on the side of caution for reapplication. Why physical over chemical sunscreen? There is a lot in the media about chemical sunscreen and the jury is still out over safety data. There are studies that suggest that chemical sunscreen can be absorbed into the blood stream, but keep in mind that in these studies, people used a lot more than is typical. But in general, something sitting on the surface of the skin is probably safer, so that is why we tend to prefer mineral sunscreens, especially for babies and toddlers. Why start them young? Starting sunscreen young is the best anti-aging tool. Also skin cancer happens. I got too much sun as a kid, I am very fair and would get tanned in the summer. A lot of the damage is done in childhood. Also, when you are young, you don’t think about what your skin will look like later, so we are here to remind them. Toddlers, elementary school age kids are getting a much better sunscreen message than before. For teens, talk about it as something that is essentially skincare. When you are 50 and if you did not use sunscreen, you will not be happy. Is skin more fragile when you are a child? For sure, an infant or young toddler, especially babies, are more susceptible to sun damage. Every skin type needs sunscreen, we recommend it for any skin type, even if you don’t burn, you might get skin cancer and aging happens to everybody. What do you recommend to parents of kids with very sensitive skin or eczema? For them, physical blockers for sure. Trying to find products that have fewer ingredients. Some additives can be irritating. Usually winter is the worse for eczema but some get worse in the summer when they get sweaty. In the summertime, I recommend more frequent bathing because there are more irritants, also to remove sunscreen at the end of the day. For teenagers, what are some of the best ingredients for acne prone skin? Or rosacea type skin? Again, generally less is more. Some suncreens like MDsolarSciences' contain anti inflammatory ingredients like Niacinamide which has added benefits. Biggest recommendations for teenagers? Tips for better skin in the future? Skincare is very trendy. Everybody gets their skincare tips from Hyram and Tik Tok. Some of my patients ask me if they should have a skincare routine. If you are a teenager and have great skin, you may not need to have a multi step skincare routine. If you cleanse, moisturize and apply sunscreen, you are probably fine. Also, just because something works for your friend, it might not work for you. Stay away from peer pressure and do what is best for your skin. Most common issues you see in kids and teens skincare? Most common things I see in little kids is atopic dermatitis (eczema). Very common in babies. It tends to improve over time. For them, my recommendation for skincare is to be gentle. Less is more. Natural or organic formulas may have a lot of plant-based additives that can be irritants. Minimize irritants. Use a soap free cleanser, make sure you moisturize. For teens, acne is the #1 issue. I try to get a sense of how much it bothers them. The most important thing is matching them to the right product or treatment, as they might be using a product that does not work for their type of acne. Also, they may be spot treating and that is not enough. You also need to be patient, you need a good 2 months of treatment to see long term improvements.A lot of acne treatments make you more susceptible to the sun, so you need to be more careful if you use topical retinoids, Accutane, etc. Adding sunscreen is so important. Teenagers don’t want to look like they have sunscreen on. That’s why I love products like the Mineral Tinted Crème SPF 30 from MDSolarSciences because it does not look or feel like sunscreen. If you have acne scars that are pink or red, sunscreen is the best thing you can use. What are your thoughts on removing sunscreen at the end of the day? Double cleansing is definitely trendy. I don’t double cleanse, I don’t have time! Cleansing is a place where you can save money, splurge on sunscreen, Vitamin C serum, but not on cleansing. People are using micellar water, that can be very effective. If you wear a lot of makeup, that could be a good start. With kids, you can just use a cloth to help remove the sunscreen in the bath. But it’s totally ok if a little bit is left on the skin. KEY TAKEAWAYS: KIDS• Start them young, make it fun• Prefer a physical/mineral SPF blocker TEENS• Keep it simple – cleanse, moisturize, protect with SPF• See a dermatologist if you are dealing with recurring acne EARLY 20s and beyond…• Once you hit 25, the top 3 things to do for your skin are:• Sunscreen, Sunscreen, Sunscreen!• Add a retinoid to your routine (introduce it slowly + use SPF)• Anti oxidants (Vitamin C) IN GENERAL• Find a product with SPF that feels good to wear• Find a routine that works for you• Ask yourself, Is it effective and how does it feel? To learn more about our Kids' formulas, check out this blog.
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