Sunscreen Is Not Just for Summer

What’s the most important product for protecting your skin from the signs of aging? Retinoids? Vitamin C? Peptides? Would you be surprised to learn that the number one regimen staple for ageless skin is sunscreen? You weren’t thinking about putting it away as we head into fall, were you?

While the other products are all crucial to firm, healthy, youthful skin, neglecting to protect skin from UV radiation will essentially undo all the good work your other products are doing.

“Wearing sunscreen is one of the best — and easiest — ways to protect your skin’s appearance and health at any age. Used regularly, sunscreen helps prevent sunburn, skin cancer and premature aging,” says dermatologist Anna Lien-Lun Chien.

Aside from the passage of time itself, the number one factor affecting skin aging and health is UV radiation. Wrinkles, age spots, laxity, skin cancer are all induced and accelerated by the sun. And the risk doesn’t end when summer does.

Ultraviolet rays are always there whether the weather is sunny or cloudy, hot or cold. Even when clouds are blocking visible rays, UVA rays, the ones responsible for aging your skin, are still coming through.

According to the American Academy of Dermatologists (AAD), up to 80 percent of the sun's UV rays can pass through clouds, smog, or glass. Additionally, UV rays can be reflected off surfaces like water, sand, snow, or pavement, leading to an increase in UV exposure.

To protect your skin from UV and environmental damage, SPF is non-negotiable. Every day. All year round. Preventing damage is always easier than trying to reverse damage later.

“The biggest skin care mistake people make is not protecting their skin from the sun. Daily SPF is crucial,” says Shaylyn Gilmer, aesthetician at Vanity skin spa in St. Louis.

If you’re worried that sunscreen will feel sticky, greasy, or leave a white tone on your skin, have no fear. It’s possible to get daily sun protection without the telltale signs of a heavy sunscreen.

Vivant’s Day Treatment Lotion SPF 15 is a lightweight, non-greasy formula that provides moisture and sun protection in one. It glides on and absorbs quickly without any hint of sticky residue so it won’t interfere with makeup application or wear. You can even mix it with loose mineral powder to create your own lightweight foundation.

The light, non-comedogenic formula gets a boost from zinc peptides, which reduce inflammation and promote cell regeneration, plus whole leaf aloe, which is a potent healer and protector.

Sunscreen should be the last step in your daily morning regimen. Apply Day Treatment Lotion after your serum, allowing the serum to fully absorb first.

Don’t rely on makeup that contains SPF. The average makeup application is not enough to provide the necessary coverage necessary, leaving you short of the protection you need. Better to stick with a standalone sunscreen.