Am I the only one who didn't know that sunscreen every day is the key to youthful skin?

[elisio1]

I am not hugely image conscious, don't read women's mags and have been in a bit of a mummy vacuum for the last few years, not keeping up with the news etc, but I was really surprised, when I went to GP yesterday to hear her saying the above.

I said that I knew sunscreen was important in strong sun and abroad etc, and obviously know the importance of not burning, but asked her if people in the cloudy UK really wore sunscreen every day? She said YES, that she had worn one every day for the last 10 years and that most dermatologists had probably done the same for 20 years.

I now feel really stupid- was I the only one not to know this was the answer to eternal youth!

And why, then, do so many of the anti-ageing, expensive moisturisers not contain SPF?? If this is the answer to not ageing, I should obviously have saved my pennies over the last few years and just bought a £10 pound bottle of soltan every few months. Which I will now do....

Am I the only one who didn't know this?

[emsyj]

Yes!

The majority of ageing is sun damage. That's why dark skins age more slowly.

[moonwalk]

Yes, I am sure you are

I have known this for a while, but don't really follow this advice... I try to buy foundations (which I wear every day) with a SPF 15, but am not sure that this (little bit of foundation) will protect the skin adequately... if you really want to shield your skin from the sun you would need to use proper sunscreen underneath as well I guess.

[SardineQueen]

Yes I always try to choose day creams (at least in the summer) which have at least some SPF in.

I have very fair skin though and burn easily so it's more to avoid that than to avoid ageing but yes there is a connection there.

[SardineQueen]

Although obviously when it's proper hot I put actual sun block on my face!

[Tutti]

Well to adegree she is right.
But you will ^still6 have to reapply it often.
Even ^if your foundation and your day cream have spf in ,you would still have to reapply throughout the dya to continue that protection.
An spf in a face cream/foundation is the same as an spf in a suncream-they have to be reapplied regularly to protect.

[elisio1]

Thanks for the above. So it seems ridiculous that all the expensive moisturisers don't contain SPF? There must still be some ignorance about this or people wouldn't continue to buy the non-spf products.

For example, I've just been browsing through some of the Estee Lauder /Clinique creams and about 50% don't have any SPF? Even though many of these products claim to be anti-ageing. If the only thing really proven to be anti-ageing is sun protection, then all these other creams are a complete and utter waste of money...so why are people still duped by them? (myself included UNTIL NOW!)

[ameliagrey]

You won't be the only one but most people don't seem to bother.

I have used Clinique City Block for about 20 years SPF 25/40, after I had treatment for eczema and the dr said keep my face out of the sun whilst my skin was healing.

I carried on using it ever since.

Last make up asst on the Clinique counter put my age as 10-15 years younger than I am

The SPF in makeup etc won't do much on its own- think about it- if you are on the beach you reapply sunscreen every couple of hours. what you put on your face at 7am is not going to work as well by 5pm. So you really need a separate sun screen under make up, or alone if you don't use make up.

[emsyj]

I read a piece in a magazine once (so of course it must have been true - every word of it! ) about skin ageing and it said that wearing foundation every day provides some barrier to sun damage.

The article involved pages of photos of women with no make up on and they had got dermatologists to examine them all and give them a 'skin age'. The ones with a skin age lower than their real age were the ones who (1) didn't sunbathe (2) used sun protection on holiday and (3) wore foundation every day.

It seemed to suggest that even if the foundation is not full of SPF that it provides a (minimal) barrier and does protect to some extent from sun ageing.

But best to use products with SPF anyway.

[ameliagrey]

Clinique do have a moisturiser Super Defence- which is spf 25.

personally, I think you have to think of mosituriser, sun screen, make up.

Unlikely you will get one product which gives good protection for 12-14 hrs.

[Tutti]

Because we are talking two different issues here.

Anti ageing creams etc do work and will work better if you like if you also use an spf.

Think preventative and prescriptive.

[ameliagrey]

Foundation can protect your skin as many contain zinc oxide which is a major ingredient of sun block.

It's a myth that foundation clogs pores and is bad for your skin- it does provide a physical barrier between your skin and UV rays.

[Fluffycloudland77]

Yes you are. But if you don't read magazines etc how could you be expected to realise.

I've worn either a proper sunscreen SPF 60 (overkill) or clinique cityblock 25 for 14 years and still look 20-21, am now 34.

I still get asked for Id if I'm not wearing much make up and people think my husbands my dad.

Thing is though is that your childhood exposure still counts towards adult skin aging.

It's never too late to start though!.

[fluffles]

the sort of mid-range day moisturisers i buy (nivea, olay) always seem to contain SPF15. i don't look for it specifically, it just seems to be there.

maybe the key is to go down market a bit from estee lauder and clinique

[Pinkflipflop]

I wear this everyday

No need for seperate moisturiser and it is an excellent base for make-up.

I can't recommend it highly enough - it's brilliant.

[Pinkflipflop]

Forgot to add, I use it on face, neck, ears and backs of hands every day summer and winter.

[kerstina]

I think I can tell if my creme is working if it stops my freckles coming out. Not many spf cremes seems to really work. I wear clinique city block when i am at the coast or outside for long periods. I think wearing a wide brimmed hat and large sunglasses are better if its really hot. Used to be quite strict but these days I think the sun makes me feel better (serotonin) and it boosts your immune system so I am more relaxed about it

[OriginalPoster]

I wear sunscreen every day due to a sun allergy. I do look young for my age, but have never sunbathed or been on foreign summer holiday for the same reason. If I forget I get zitty, itchy eruptions all over the exposed parts.