SkinFitnessFacts.com News

Many sun protection products rave about their high SPFs of 50, 70 and 80. But is it really necessary to go that high? Of course any protection is better than no protection, but know the SPF facts before you decide.

To prevent premature aging, skin cancer, or sun damaged skin (for example melasma) even a sun block of SPF 5 is better than nothing, but dermatologists recommend a product with full-spectrum coverage with at least an SPF of 15.

There are two types of sun rays to differentiate: ultraviolet-a (UVA) and ultraviolet-b (UVB). UVA are longer wavelengths from the sun and penetrate deeper into the skin and may be the culprit behind aging. UVB rays have shorter wavelengths and are more likely to cause sun burn and skin cancer.

Products that contain SPF (SPF stands for sun protection factor) only protect the skin from UVB rays so it’s important to use a block that is UVA/UVB or broad-spectrum protection.

Technically, SPF represents the amount of time it takes for the skin to redden. For example, with an SPF 15 it will take about five hours for your skin to begin burning while without it the skin will redden within 20 minutes. The higher the SPF the longer it takes for your skin to redden.

Here’s the breakdown on UVB protection

• SPF 15 blocks 93 percent
• SPF 30 blocks 97 percent
• SPF 50 blocks 99 percent

Anything above SPF 50 will provide only a negligible amount of UVB protection.

Just because you apply once in the morning doesn’t mean you are covered at 4pm that afternoon. Make sure to reapply every couple of hours especially if you are in the water or sweating. Most sun blocks will last you two hours.

Skin Fitness Facts recommends a number of full-spectrum sun block products including DDF’s Daily Organic.

On a typical day we lose 2.5 liters of water from our bodies. Add in exercise and we lose even more. It’s important to drink enough water to replace what we excrete and to flush out all those toxins that could clog our pores.

When we lose more water than we drink our bodies become dehydrated and toxins from the food we eat and the environment don’t have a chance to work themselves out. This affects the whole body including appetite, energy, digestion, immunity, and your skin fitness. When you are dehydrated you have dull, dry skin and in some cases even acne.

Eight glasses of water a day is the rule, but sometimes that’s hard to do. Instead, learn to recognize when you are dehydrated and then do everything you can to avoid it. Here are four ways to know when you are dehydrated:

• You are thirsty or hungry. Thirst is obvious with dry mouth, but sometimes hunger is also a result of dehydration. The next time you are hungry when you think you shouldn’t be, try drinking a glass of water.
• Your urine is a dark, murky color
• You have little energy
• You have abnormally dry skin

Dehydration means that your cells don’t rebuild the way they are supposed to and waste builds up in your blood. When this happens nutrients don’t manage to work through your body. Your complexion will suffer by becoming dry, flaky, oily, and acne prone.

Keep up with your skin fitness by drinking water all day long and by using the proper moisturizer. Shop at the SkinStore.com to find products right for you and receive free USA shipping on all orders.

Think about everything that your lips go through in one day. Between the smiling, the breathing, the eating, and then the outside elements like sun, wind and pollutants, those pretty puckers go through more wear and tear than any other part of the body.

On top of everything the lips go through in a day, the skin on the lips is not near as thick as other areas of your body. In fact, the lips have five layers of dermis where as parts of your face have 16 layers. Because your lips are so much thinner, lips tend to chap and bleed easier. This means that the lips should be cared for by using a moisturizer that actually works.

Another disadvantage for the lips is that no natural oils are excreted on this part of the skin, unlike the rest of the body. This is because there are no sebaceous glands or sweat glands to expel moisture on this part of the skin.

Many people are troubled by chronic chapped lips and are frustrated by the fact that chap sticks, lip glosses, and other lip treatments sometimes make the situation worse. This is because of the chemicals like alcohol and camphor that many chap sticks contain that have drying qualities. There are three simple things you can do keep lips moisturized and protected.

• Drink plenty of water for total skin fitness
• Take a fish oil supplement. It’s a slow fix, but it’s a good fix.
• Use a lip moisturizer that locks in moisture like shea butter.

For more information on lip care products visit SkinStore.com or contact Skin Fitness Facts with your questions.