Naples Florida Weekly
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Healthy tips for summer sun protection




— Svetlana Kogan is a board certified medical doctor with more than 20 years of experience. For more information about her practice, visit www.customlongevity.com

— Svetlana Kogan is a board certified medical doctor with more than 20 years of experience. For more information about her practice, visit www.customlongevity.com

Summer is here and beachgoers are happy to get out there for some sunshine after months of being cooped up in their homes. Let’s take a moment to run through some sun protection tips, which even the savviest may find useful.

If you forget to reapply your sunscreen, look for the product that contains mexoryl — a photostable ingredient that absorbs deep-penetrating UVA rays without deteriorating, giving you an extra hour of protection, depending on your activity. If mexoryl is listed as an active ingredient, the sunscreen can save you time and money, and provide added insurance against sunburn.

If you are prone to breakouts, buy sunscreen formula that lists micro zinc as an ingredient. Zinc oxide is great for acne-prone folks because it sits on top of skin and refracts rays, rather than sinking in and increasing the risk of breakouts like many UV absorbers do. Zinc is also an effective astringent and improves acne by controlling oil and bacteria. But despite these perks, people have been reluctant to use zinc because of the unsightly white residue it leaves on the skin. The good news is that, scientists have discovered how to shrink the zinc particle so much that it becomes invisible. Just look for that “micro zinc” listed on the back of the tube.

If you are fair-skinned or a red-head, or if you are battling rosacea, try looking for sunscreen formulas infused with calming and soothing natural ingredients. I personally like products with green tea extract. Green tea’s powerful antioxidant polyphenols fight the free radicals and oxidative damage caused by UV rays. An additional benefit from green tea’s polyphenols is that they have an anti-inflammatory effect on hypersensitive skin. Sun exposure wreaks havoc on the skin cells and we need antioxidants to promote skin rejuvenation.

If you have very dry skin, make sure your sunscreen contains moisturizers like hyaluronic acid, ceramides, shea butter, aloe vera or coconut oil. Remember to reapply your sunscreen after swimming unless it is waterproof, and regardless of your activity, reapply every two hours to prevent sunburns.

There is damaging UV light getting to your skin even if the day is seemingly cloudy and you can’t see the sun directly. In fact, on a partly cloudy day, something interesting happens. A phenomenon called the “broken-cloud effect” can occur, which causes higher UV levels — higher than a completely clear sky would allow. Bottom line is, in a beach town it pays to be smart about your sun protection now — you will spend much less time and money on lasers and other skinsalvaging procedures down the line. ¦

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