SUMMER SKIN CARE: ESSENTIALS YOU NEED TO KNOW
And if you already have sun damage, all hope is not lost, writes Claudia Kwan.
Vitamins A, C, E, B, zinc and selenium all play a role in skin health, whether it’s maintaining elasticity or antioxidant activity.
— Alexandra Inman,
Registered dietitian with Vancouver Dietitians
With cold and wet weather the norm for much of the year in British Columbia, the first regular appearance of sunshine can have people rushing to spend significant amounts of time outside. Not so fast, say the experts.
“Wearing sunscreen, hats, and appropriate clothes saves your skin from dryness and dermatitis (irritation) which can lead to bacterial infections,” explains Dr. Beth Donaldson, physician and medical director at Copeman Healthcare Centre. “Skin is the biggest organ of your body — it’s worth investing in.”
Donaldson says skin cancer can show up in areas that people neglect to put sunscreen on, such as the tops of ears, the chest area and the lips. The lower leg — shins and calves — are a common spot for women to develop skin cancer.
Part of the problem, Donaldson details, comes from being stingy with the amount of sunscreen people are applying. For proper coverage, adults need about two ounces per leg, and an ounce or two per arm. A quarter size dollop is necessary for the face, with application 15-20 minutes in advance of sun exposure. Reapplication every few hours is also crucial. She recommends La Roche-Posay for adults and Ombrelle for children.
She is not particularly concerned about the debate over exposure to the compounds involved in sunscreens that chemically block ultraviolent (UV ) rays (as opposed to sunscreens that physically block UV).
“You can always go with a zincderived one, which is supposedly safer, but until they have studies showing cancer is caused by sunscreen — which they don’t — use the sunscreens that keep you the safest and work best. Skin cancer is becoming so prevalent at younger ages; once you have sun damage you can’t undo it.”
Donaldson says ‘the bigger the better’ when it comes to protective wear like hats and sunglasses.
Sunglasses need to provide UV protection, not just cut glare.
Alexandra Inman, a registered dietitian with Vancouver Dietitians, supports the wearing of sunscreen to protect the skin, but points out it can inhibit the synthesization of Vitamin D. She says people should continue taking their Vitamin D supplements during the summer, or get it from food sources like fortified diary, egg yolks, and fatty fish like salmon.
“Vitamins A, C, E, B, zinc and selenium all play a role in skin health, whether it’s maintaining elasticity or antioxidant activity,” she points out.
“It’s easy to get enough if you eat a balanced diet with fruits and vegetables and whole foods.”
Dehydration can lead to a depletion of skin elasticity and the development of wrinkles.
Inman says keeping a water bottle within arm’s reach all summer can help prevent that. It’s especially important when swimming, since being immersed in cool water can mask the sensation of sweating or being thirsty.
Inman says high level athletes — like triathletes and marathoners — should consider working individually with a dietitian to see whether their electrolyte levels and carbohydrate consumption should be adjusted in the summer.
Although it’s tempting to grab a frosty iced frappucino or ice cream to beat the summer heat, she cautions against doing it too often.
“The insulin response to sugar can be pro-inflammatory, so it’s important to limit it. Limiting overall sugar also prevents taking in empty calories, not to mention chronic disease.”
Dr. William McGillivray, physician and medical director of Project Skin MD, says sun avoidance is also a big piece of the puzzle when it comes to protecting your skin.
“Stay in the shade when you can, and if you have a choice about when an activity is, avoid midday when the sun is strongest,” he says.
“I have friends in Maui who surf in the morning or the evening instead.”
He says the best sunscreen to get is the one that you’re most likely to use; he particularly likes the SkinCeuticals tinted sunscreen because it stays on well, doesn’t sting, and doesn’t turn the skin completely white. He also gives the La Roche-Posay line a thumbs up.
McGillivray recommends what he calls ‘the trifecta’ of skin care to prevent sun damage. In addition to an SPF 50 or higher sunscreen, he says people should also apply a Vitamin C serum in the morning. Preferably, it’s pH-optimized to better absorb into the skin, and contains 15-20 per cent ascorbic acid. If it’s provided in combination with Vitamin E and ferulic acid, the effectiveness is boosted.
“Vitamin C is an antioxidant, it increases collagen and helps with preventing pigmentation irregularities,” he says. “It also adds to your SPF (sun protection factor) for several days. It doesn’t replace sunscreen, but it’s great as it doesn’t wash off your skin, because it’s absorbed in.”
At night, he recommends using lotions or creams that contain Vitamin A, which encourages exfoliation and can encourage collagen production. That’s important for skin elasticity.
If you already have sun damage — it can happen after just a couple of serious sunburns — all hope is not lost. He says a variety of lasers and light devices can be used to treat irregular skin pigmentation, redness, or fine lines, and to boost overall skin quality. He points out it shouldn’t be considered mere vanity to access skin treatments.
“Simply having your skin assessed provides an opportunity to look for anything worrisome, and as needed, to have pre-cancerous or cancerous skin cells removed,” he says. “Some of these other treatments also help people feel more confident, which helps them perform better in the world.”
Copeman Healthcare’s Dr. Donaldson agrees with the need to pay close attention to the skin, saying people should aim for an annual review with a doctor.
She says the sooner skin cancer is detected and treated, the better the outcome will be — and that research shows people who are worried about specific moles or spots on their skin actually turn out to have been right about their concerns a fairly high percentage
of the time. While it’s rare for skin cancer to be fatal, she says that’s no reason to view it as relatively non-dangerous.
“There are only so many cancers you can prevent — this is one of them, which is kind of a gift,” she says.
“Others can bite you out of nowhere, and there’s no way to prevent them. Since this is one we can prevent, we should prevent it.”
This story was produced by Content Works as a result of Copeman Healthcare Centre’s interest in this topic. Copeman Healthcare Centre was not given the opportunity to put restrictions on the content or review it prior to publication.