Sun Safety Plan From Nurse Jenni

Tips for ClientsProduct RecommendationsSun Safety
Written By JENNIFER Matthews

Did you know 1 or 2 major blistering sunburns as a child increases their risk of skin cancer later in life? As a trusted aesthetician, you can help your clients practice sun safety and help them understand the preventative measure needed to abate the risk of skin cancer. Melanoma is no joke. If it breaks free and becomes systemic, it can metastasize and become deadly. Check out the plan I’ve put together to help you and your clients manage sun risk.

Sun Safety is just not about premature skin aging or collagen destruction or uneven skin tone. It’s about preventing skin cancers. Skin cancer is the most prevalent cancer in the United States and about 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. But skin cancer is the most preventable if we follow the sun safety rules provided below.

From the East Coast to the West Coast, we all live in very different climates in which we are bombarded with daily environmental stressors such as polluted urban or cityscapes, elevation, humidity, and extreme UVR insults.

Chemical Sunscreen Vs Physical Sun Shield? Which one is better?

I would highly recommend you use a physical sun shield. A physical sun shield consists of minerals such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Why? When temperatures reach over 90’, the chemical active ingredients lose their strength and they degrade. Their power of protecting you diminishes greatly. Physical/Mineral sun shields don’t degrade like this when temperatures reach over 90’.

AND chemical sunscreens can enter our blood stream and breastmilk. That’s not healthy or safe. Our livers are already over-taxed and we don’t want to put any more pressure on this precious organ that is responsible for our body’s detoxification. But, I get it, some people don’t like the way physical sun blocks feel. If this is the case, I’d rather you use chemical sunscreen than nothing at all. But always wear your hat!

Jenni’s Go-To Sunblock

Get a sunblock that you love and feels good on your skin. My favorite for me and my family is Lira’s Sun Shield. We are a very active family with the kids and I feel very safe and secure using this sunblock on a daily basis. It’s a 21% zinc oxide physical sun shield and it’s blended very well so it does not feel dry and chalky on your skin. It feels very soft and hydrating. I like to put my nourishing lipids underneath it. (If you need a sunblock, let me know, I have Lira in stock right now.)

How to Select the Best Sunblock

Choose a physical sunblock with a SPF 30 (active ingredients are zinc oxide or titanium dioxide: look for a high percentages of your active ingredients, such as zinc oxide 21%)

Sunblock Storage Tips

  • If your sunblock is a year old: throw it out

  • Don’t keep your sunblock in the car: heat degrades the active substances

  • Get in the habit of keeping your sunblock in your purse or backpack. Have it readily available for re-application purposes.

Where & How to Apply Sunscreen

  • Make sure to cover areas such as the back of your neck, your ears, and your feet and toes.

  • For your body: exposed legs, exposed arms, face, neck, and chest: you need 1 oz or 30 ml of sunblock.

  • For your face, neck, and chest: 5 ml or 1 tsp. Yes, it seems like a lot, but you need a thick layer.

  • Under your sunblock, apply a good Vitamin C serum that also contains Vitamin E and Ferulic Acid. These are hardcore antioxidants that help to decrease UVR insults to the skin.

Sun Avoidance Tips

  • Seek the shade from 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

  • Be aware that UVR comes through glass and on cloudy days. Tint your car windows.

  • At higher elevations, UVR is more potent

  • Get yearly skin checks done by your dermatologist.

You’ll Never See Me Outside Without a Hat

As a rule for us and our clients: we need to have daily sun safety protocols in place. It is also very important to educate and share this knowledge with kids. Get them to start practicing sun safety at an early age and they will be less prone to pre-cancerous growths during their lifetime. My kids are pretty good about applying their sunblock and wearing their hats. (Well, my son fights me on the hat, but he’s good with his sunglasses…)

JENNIFER Matthews