Are you wearing enough sunscreen? (No, no you're not)

At the risk of sounding like a nag, you're probably not wearing enough sunscreen. I am a hypocrite because I myself didn't start wearing sunscreen properly until at least my 30's, but if you heed the advice, you won't look like Magda from There's Something About Mary for another few decades. 

I always believed that I look better with tanned skin. I still do, but unfortunately there isn't such thing as a safe tan. That healthy glow is sadly a sign of DNA injury to your skin. I'm so sorry to break it to you, but do like me and just fake it. If I am appealing to your vanity alone, then all that continued sun exposure does is speed up the signs of aging, and at worst, as we know, it can lead to skin cancer. 

Sun beds, aka the electric beach, are also a complete disaster. I thought that these guys had all died off the high street altogether, so imagine my horror when I heard two young women in the gym discussing how they use sunbeams to start their "base tan" before going on holiday! The Skin Cancer Foundation estimates that there is a 75%
increased risk of developing life-threatening melanoma if you start using indoor tanning beds before age 35. Please don't. 

I've been speaking to friends who have started to have anti- aging treatments done, like chemical peels, laser resurfacing and micro needling. If this is you, I can tell you now, that nothing will age your skin faster than neglecting sunscreen after one of these treatments.  One friend showed me a sunscreen that her aesthetician sold her. it was Factor 130 and the teeny bottle cost about £55. Do we think that she is going to apply this sunscreen as liberally as is necessary? Nope, we don't, not at that price. 

OK so what's the right amount?

Thanks for asking. According to my favourite expert on the subject, Dr. Julian Sass, the correct amount to apply to your face in the morning is half a teaspoon (which is approx 2.14 grams.  This should cover the face, ears and neck.  Personally I feel weird measuring out my sunscreen with a little spoon in my bathroom, so I go for 2 full finger lengths of sunscreen.  If I am out and about all day and the UV index is high, I reapply every 2 hours. If one is chilling at home but close to windows and therefore the sunlight, then, one reapplies only once, but it's your face. 

Reapplying sunscreen when you're indoors, are you mad? 

No. Don't forget, UVA rays penetrate clouds and glass and while UVA damage isn't as brutal as UVB, it will absolutely contribute to the breakdown of collagen and therefore your skin's elasticity, as well as the dreaded hyperpigmentation which makes an unwelcome return to my under eye area as soon as the sun pops out. 

All Perdita's sunscreens have high UVB protection (Factor 50+) and UVA protection of PA++++ for the Korean and Japanese sunscreens, or a PPD (Persistent Pigment Darkening Factor) of at least 48, which is very high indeed! Unfortunately, in order to get the highest PA rating (4+), the UVA protection doesn't need to be that high, so when the UVA index is high, go for a sunscreen from the Altruist range.