lucilleduquette:

apparently, may is skin cancer awareness month. i had no idea until the folks at hat attack asked if i’d like to style one of their hats to help with the cause, and i gladly agreed. 

though i’m fortunate to have never had personal experience with skin cancer, i’ve had numerous scares resulting in uncomfortable biopsies, followed by days of anxiously awaiting the results. my tests have always been benign, but the experience, combined with my pasty pale, quick-to-burn skin has made me very cautious.

i’ve become a bit obsessed with sun protection over the years, and figured this is as good a time as any to share the top 10 things i’ve learned through my dermatologist, as well as through extensive interweb research. 

1. you should wear sunscreen every day, year round. even if you don’t think you’re going to be in the sun, consider all the short exposures like walking to the subway, or sitting next to a window at work- all of that adds up in the long run.

2. if you get any amount of tan, that’s sun damage, and your sunscreen isn’t working well enough.

3. wearing a foundation with spf is usually not anywhere near enough protection to avoid sun damage (there are some exceptions- shiseido makes a foundation with a decent amount of protection).

4. some combinations of sunscreen ingredients work against each other, so it is easiest to use only 1 product with spf to avoid any issues. for instance, avobenzone (aka parsol) should not be combined with octinoxate (aka octyl methoxycinnamate). some US sunscreens combine them, so learning to read ingredients is a helpful skill.

5. the US isn’t very stringent about coming up with spf ratings. in the US, testers apply a thick glob of sunscreen to skin, and hold it under a UV light, whereas in other countries like Australia or France, the sunscreen is spread lightly over the skin; thus, the ratings are more realistic to how the sunscreen will be worn. for this reason (and a few others) i end up ordering non-US sunscreens online.

6. you should use about 1/4 teaspoon of sunscreen for your face, and another 1/4 tsp for your neck- a lot of people don’t apply that much, meaning they’re getting less protection than the product states.

7. people apply less sunscreen than they should because, let’s be honest, a lot of sunscreens look and feel gross! i’ve tried a LOT of different products (i have annoying rashy skin with many allergies, so desperation has driven me to lots of trial and error). 

there are 2 main types of sunscreen ingredients: chemical and physical. 

8. chemical blockers, like avobenzone, octinoxate, octocrylene, tinsorb, and meroxyl, sink into your skin and absorb light, or reflect it away. chemical blockers, in my opinion, have a few benefits over physical ones. they can give you much higher sun protection, can have a nicer consistency, and are often better for people prone to breakouts.

9. physical blockers include titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which block the sun by sitting on top of your skin, forming a physical barrier. i have to use all-physical sunscreens due to allergy issues (though lately i’m experimenting with a few physical/chemical mixes)- some people find they’re generally better for sensitive skin, but i think it all depends on what you’re sensitive to. physical sunscreens are often guilty of leaving a white cast on your face. with my pale skin this isn’t an issue, but if it is for you, i recommend a few to try: sofina white protect, biore UV perfect face milk, and clarins UV 40. you can find a few cheaper all-physical sunscreens at the drugstore (neutrogena and eucerin make them), but the thick texture, in my opinion, makes them too much for everyday wear. i end up ordering mine on ebay since the sunscreens i like best are from japan- they are WAY more obsessed with sun protection than we are in the US, so their formulations are amazing, and the products aren’t expensive.

10. if you think your sunscreen is making you break out, don’t give up just yet- consider that you might not be sufficiently removing it. sunscreens are made to withstand a day of sweating at the beach, so they can be pretty tenacious about clinging to your skin. the best way i’ve found to remove them is using an oil.

you can buy a pre-made cleansing oil, like lumene (at the drugstore), shu uemura (causes allergies for me but has a great smell and texture), or fancl (this is what i order online when i want to be fancy). you rub a little bit of the oil mixture onto dry skin, then splash it with water- it’ll emulsify and wash off easily.

or, if you want to keep things simple, you can rub any old oil into your skin to loosen up the sunscreen, then follow it up with your regular face wash. this method, using mineral oil, works best for me, due to my allergy issues. 

so there you have it: my sunscreen obsession. in case it doesn’t go without saying, i’m not a dermatologist, and this information is all apprehended from my doctor or various websites, so feel free to check my facts or add your own info. 

i also want to add that there are days when i don’t wear sunscreen. if my face is covered in an itchy red rash, i’m hesitant to slap on the chemicals, so on those days, i go out in sunglasses and a hat. i’m so thankful to hat attack for this cute floppy number—

thanks to them i can avoid ordering a sun visor for my upcoming trip to florida.

i’m obsessed with sun protection… but not that obsessed.

ann taylor loft jacket (c/o), uniqlo shirt dress, old navy scarf, marni sandals, vintage chanel belt, miu miu tie dye bag, various vintage bracelets, turquoise necklace from etsy, hat attach hat (c/o)