The Importance of SPF

Health and beauty, happiness and wholeness. These are all qualities that I want to continually possess for many years to come. How best to maintain the health of your skin, especially in the summer months? After all, beautiful skin makes me happy! Well, let me start off by saying that the best way to maintain your skin’s elasticity and youthful appearance is to wear an SPF all year long. Yup. That’s 365 days. I know I know it seems ridiculous, downright preposterous to even entertain the idea of applying that white cream when it’s snowing outside. But don’t call me crazy. I truly believe that if I had listened to my own advice while I lived in LA for 10 years, I wouldn’t have rosacea today. I happen to have a very mild case of it. You can’t really tell I have it. But my cheeks will flare up if I have certain spicy foods and if I imbibe red wine – holy moly my cheeks are red in no time.

I didn’t have this problem before I moved to LA. Sure, the ozone layer is continually being stripped away every year; no matter where we live we have to shield ourselves from the sun’s UV radiation now more than ever before. However, I lived in LA for a decade and it didn’t dawn on me to put SPF on my face each and every day even though the sun is shining brightly each and every day there – duh. I believe, and a few dermatologists have agreed, that being exposed to the sun every day without protection is what caused my cheeks to show early signs of rosacea.

The sun is still shining in winter people, so don’t fool yourself. Wear SPF every day. There are plenty of brands out there that go on without leaving a white residue, which can give you a ghost-like appearance. I switch brands all the time. Stick to brands that don’t use chemicals in their products, such as Pratima’s Neem Rose Face Sunscreen SPF30.

Be smart and follow my advice for beautiful, flawless skin that lasts well into your adult years!