Saturday, June 29, 2013

7 Sunblock Questions Answered By P&G Scientist Laura Goodman

You know that using sunscreen is vital year-round (especially if you’re a frequent reader of StyleUnited!), and it’s especially important in the summer months. But do you know exactly how much you should use and how often you should reapply it? And are you aware of the new FDA regulations on SPF? Many of us are due for a little refresher course on all things sun care, so I caught up with Laura Goodman, Procter & Gamble Senior Scientist, for the latest.

StyleUnited: Are there any ingredients we should look for when sunscreen shopping?
Laura Goodman: First, you want to look for that broad-spectrum protection designation. Turn the bottle over and look at the ingredients for avobenzone. If it has that, it’s truly broad spectrum. Keep in mind avobenzone is for chemical sunscreen. For physical/mineral sunscreens, look for titanium oxide or zinc oxide.

SU: Should we be layering on SPF before or after moisturizer/serums?
LG: After. Your UV protection should be the last thing you do. You want the goodies in your serum and moisturizers to get to your skin first. SPF is like an umbrella.

SU: How many times a day should we reapply sunscreen?
LG: It depends on what you’re doing. Sunscreen breaks down and wears out depending on exposure. Ideally, we’d love to have people reapply at lunch. When you’re out at the beach, people are more likely to reapply. Regarding mineral makeup, a re-dusting is extremely helpful to provide an extra layer of mineral sunscreen. If you use an SPF-infused moisturizer every day, there is a certain level of buildup. If you’re doing it consistently, your skin gets used to holding SPF there; there's a cumulative effect. So there's a difference between intermittent use versus using one every day.

SU: What number SPF do you recommend for day-to-day versus when we're on a beach vacation?
LG: For day-to-day, SPF 15 in the right amount is adequate. Traditionally, a large almond-shaped amount is fine for an average face. Apply it in two thin layers and then apply your makeup on top.
For the beach, the higher SPF number, the more sensitive your skin may be to it. DDF has SPF 45, for which we did sensitivity testing and it passed. If you can handle 45 to 50, do it. Zinc oxide now comes in a clear formula, so those sticks are good, too.

Read the rest over at P&G Everyday: http://bit.ly/13c1BaU

You tell me, what's your number (SPF, that is)?


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4 comments:

  1. I love the Neutrogena Ultra sheer dry touch formula in spf 55. I'm insanely pale, and fry like a crisp pretty much the minute I step into the sunlight. I like that it isn't greasy so it's good for my face and doesn't make me break out.

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  2. This is very informative. I'm using SPF-infused moisturizer every day and I feel it's really effective. BTW, I seldom use sunscreen having SPF 45 because I have a very sensitive skin. Anyway, thanks for sharing. I've learned a lot from the interview.

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  3. Where we live in summer months most beaches and outdoor areas have sunscreen for free and advise you to put on sunscreen at least every three hours. Having grown up with not applying sunscreen and it not been advertised as much as it is now and I believe it is so important to educate all the time on sunscreen.
    Thanks for your article and educating us the benefits of sunscreen

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  4. What a great interview, which provides many new things about sunscreen. I knew it is important to apply sunscreen but I am not a person, who usually go out and stay at the beach so I only seldom use sunscreen. I like the one with SPF45, which is good and I was not sensitive to sunscreen. Maybe I should try moisturizer with sunscreen protection too.

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