Sun exposure Today, produces wrinkles Tomorrow!

Meet Bill McElligott, delivery truck driver in USA.

28 years of driving has resulted in the left side of his face looking almost 20 years older than the right.
The damage is so one sided simply because whilst the left side of his face has been shadowed by cabin, the right was left exposed to the sun.

The Sun is the greatest cause of Wrinkles!

90% of age-associated cosmetic problems are due to excessive exposure to the Sun. What many people don’t realise is all it really takes is ONE good Sunburn to produce the wrinkles seen on Sun lovers, though the damage will take 15-20 years to show.

One of the first visible signs of Sun damage is erythema, reddening of the skin. It doesn’t always appear immediately and can appear 2-6 hours after sun exposure. It can last for as little as a few hours or up to several days. The intensity of the redness is a good indication of the severity of the damage inflicted.

Sun damage is cumulative, just a few minutes of unprotected Sun exposure every day over the years can cause massive changes to the Skin in terms of ageing.

Sun damage can be caused in all weather conditions, not just bright sunny days, though those are the worst days!

UVA and UVB sun rays are the ultra-violet rays, made of invisible light, that are unaffected by clouds and rain, which means they affect the skin all year round. This is why we recommend all our customers to use suitable sun screen protection all year round come rain or shine!

UVB rays Burn you!

• Sunburn is associated with shorter UVB rays. UVB is the main cause of skin reddening and sunburn;
• It only penetrates upper epidermal layer of the skin and is more prevalent on sunny days;
• It can lead to thicker more leathery skin;
• UVB rays do not significantly penetrate glass;
• UVB protection is denoted by the SPF level.

UVA rays Age you!

• UVA rays penetrate more deeply than UVB rays;
• The longer Ultra Violet wavelengths can penetrate the skin and damage connective tissue at deeper levels. Even if the skin surface feels cool;
• UVA rays are the main culprit of skin ageing and wrinkling, as they damage the collagen directly reducing skin elasticity resulting in the wrinkles.

Everyone likes to keep cool in Summer, whether its water fights, dips in the outdoor pool or a day at the beach. Wet and shiny skin, while cooling/soothing, is more harmful as more light is absorbed than dull skin since the index of refraction is closer to air. Therefore it’s important to have extra protection whilst outdoor swimming.

Applying Oils to the skin before heading into the great outdoors would have a similar affect, without the benefits of protection. The use of such products would be like using frying oil to transfer heat from the stove to the meat. There would be less scattering and more absorption of the energies.

Sun protection creams play an important role in reducing the harmful effects of the sun. Your sunscreen should provide protection against both UVA and UVB rays.

Sun protection products have their protective strength denoted by a Sun Protection Factor or SPF. The higher the SPF number the more sunburn protection it provides.

Online Skin recommends the Heliocare range with a minimum SPF 50. The Heliocare range contains their patented Fernblock® Photoimmunoprotection Technology.

Fernblock® has been proven in extensive scientific and clinical studies published in peer review dermatology and scientific journals around the world to be a powerful natural skin-specific anti-oxidant and skin-protector & enhancer helping in the fight against UV damage.

Skin anti-ageing protection & enhancement

• Broad spectrum skin-specific anti-oxidant activity;
• Skin architecture; collagen, fibroblast and skin-cell protection & enhancement.

Skin-health protection & enhancement

• Immunological action – protecting the skin by defending langerhan cells;
• Skin-cell DNA protection and repair – inhibiting the DNA damage linked to development of skin-cancers;
• Clinically proven reduction in UV induced skin reactions such as Polymorphic Light Eruptions (PLE).

Here is a step by step guide for Sunscreen application:

• Thoroughly cleanse the skin;
• Apply an antioxidant serum to the face (if you use one);
• Apply a moisturiser, remember all the Heliocare sunscreen range contain moisturisers – so you don’t need a separate moisturise in the daytime;
• Apply your Heliocare sunscreen – wait a suitable time for the moisturiser cream to absorb into the skin before appling the sunscreen;
• Make sure the sunscreen is applied liberally covering all areas including behind the ears, nose, between brows and under the chin and neck;
• Wait till the sunscreen is absorbed then apply your foundation, if needed, preferably on with at least SPF 15;
• Remember to reapply sunscreen or SPF every 3-4 hours if spending long periods of time in the sun.

The correct application of Sun protection products is essential to provide the protection that is desired. As a rough guide a minimum of 1 finger length of cream is needed to cover the full face area.

If you have purchased the Heliocare GelCream or Sun Touch products, you may not need a separate moisturiser or foundation.