When it comes to skincare there’s nothing more important than lathering on sun protection every single day – there’s no better way to prevent fine lines and wrinkles. Once you’ve committed to protecting your skin however, there are key differences in sun protections. I’m the first to admit I use a ton of products that are far from natural or organic, but when it comes to suncare, mineral is usually the best way to go. Mineral sunscreens are based on zinc oxide and titanium dioxide and they work by reflecting the light from your skin as opposed to chemical sunscreens, which coat your skin and act like a sponge to absorb the damaging ultra-violet rays. While both chemical and mineral will give you the same amount of protection, chemical suncare products need to be applied 20-30 minutes before you go outdoors in order to get the protection whereas mineral work immediately. You also need about a third to a half as much mineral sunscreen as you do chemical one for the same level of protection because zinc and titanium are pulverized into very tiny little particles when mineral sunscreen is produced and those very small particles are able to give much larger coverage.
There are a few great lines out there, but one in particular that I’ve tried and loved is MDSolarSciences. I met the founder, Dr. Robert J. Friedman, a Clinical Professor at the NYU School of Medicine, two years ago when he first launched the line and his dedication to producing suncare that people will actually want to use (ie not chalky), was evident. The line has since grown exponentially to include a variety of mineral suncare products including sprays and tinted ones. Check them out and remember sun protection is not just key for preventing burns, it’s necessary for preventing wrinkles as well!