LSR x AesthetiCare: Sun Safety.

Extra LSR: Sun Safety Tips with AesthetiCare.

Beauty, Extra LSR, Summer, 59 Comments

by Ashley

Ashley Style Blogger + Creative Director

SPF or bust, it’s time to get on that sun safety train.

*This post is in partnership with AesthetiCare; all thoughts + opinions are my own.

Ahh, summer. The season we romanticize most, right? We dream of it, especially during the dark and frigid February days where you can’t remember what it’s like to leave the house without bundling up first. And now we’re launching headlong into summer mode now that it’s almost here after the longest winter imaginable (seriously, that was some Game of Thrones nonsense). Shorts, sundresses, new sunnies, and… sun safety?

Yes, sun safety. It’s so key all year round, but especially in the summer when the sun is more intense and we find ourselves spending more time out in it. Protecting your skin is the name of the game, and I’ve teamed up with my go-to medspa, AesthetiCare, to give you all the info you need and the products that’ll keep you safe.

I sat down with Kathy Taranto of AesthetiCare to chat about protecting our skin from the sun, as May is Skin Cancer Awareness Month and summer is right around the corner. Watch below:

LSR x AesthetiCare: Sun Safety.

Why is the sun bad for your skin?

With the exception of the 10-15 minutes of sunlight most of us need 2-3 times a week to maintain healthy vitamin D levels, the sun is actually horrible for our skin. But why? Sunlight contains ultraviolet rays (UV) and when those rays penetrate the skin cells, they wreak havoc on the way the skin grows, repairs, and thus, appears. That means UV light:

  • Damages the connective tissue in the skin, making it less elastic. This leads to lines, wrinkles, and sagging.
  • Causes hyperpigmentation, aka sunspots, which make the skin appear older.
  • Penetrates into the skin cell and alter the cell’s DNA, which can cause the cell to change in ways that can cause skin cancer.

Scary, right? Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the United States– but also the most preventable. How? Let’s discuss.

LSR x AesthetiCare: Sun Safety.

Sun Safety Tip #1: Protect.

SPF all year round, all the time, no matter what. If your skin is exposed and you’re going outside (even if it’s cloudy or you’re only going to be in the car), lather up.

Thankfully, there are products on the market now that don’t smell or feel like the sunscreen we use when we hit the beach on vacay. I like moisturizers and primers that include SPF because it combines two steps into one. I am in love with this tinted primer with SPF from TIZO because it protects from UV rays (SPF 40!), primes the skin, and provides a little bit of coverage all in one handy tube. It also has vitamins C and E, which helps neutralize free radicals– bonus! I really dig this because it has a matte finish and the texture is almost mousse-like. It feels lovely!

I get my TIZO tinted primer from AesthetiCare. TIZO is a medical-grade product line, which means it contains higher levels of active ingredients vs. over-the-counter brands, like the ones you find in drugstores, at Target, and at Sephora or Ulta. Higher levels of those actives = a better, harder-working product and more bang for your buck. If there’s anything you shouldn’t half-ass, it’s skincare and sun protection! (Oh, and it’s cruelty-free and a reef-friendly product, which means it’s safe for our oceans– so important.)

I’ll use this tinted primer alone (no foundation needed; the coverage is light but works for me) with concealer for a fresh, protected face. I’ll bring it down to my neck and chest for everyday wear– keep in mind, whatever you’re doing to your face, you should be doing to your neck, chest, and the backs of your hands.

I keep this hand cream in my purse and car and apply it frequently throughout the day. You really don’t realize how much UV exposure your hands get when you’re driving around– gotta protect ’em!

LSR x AesthetiCare: Sun Safety.

Sun Safety Tip #2: Don’t forget to reapply.

It’s pretty easy to add SPF to your morning routine, but reapplication is another story. By the time I’m ready to head home from work after a day at the office, the SPF I applied that morning in the bathroom is long gone in terms of protection. (Most sunscreens protect for about 2 hours in non-swimming situations.) But slapping on a layer of lotion (or even that lovely primer) over my makeup just isn’t going to happen, so what’s an SPF-obsessed girl to do?

Powder sunscreen.

Yes, it’s a thing and it’s a game-changer.

ColoreScience Sunforgettable Mineral SPF 50 Sunscreen is a powdered sunscreen with a built-in brush. You give it a little shake (with the cap on) and the product loads into the brush, then you swipe it over any area you want to protect. It comes in 4 colors– fair, medium, deep, and tan– and provides a little mattifying action in addition to sun protection.

I keep this in my purse and reapply as I’m leaving the office or the gym. I love using it on my face (even over makeup!), the backs of my hands (if hand lotion isn’t your jam, this is a non-greasy alternative), and my chest. For pool days, it’s awesome because you never have to worry about sunscreen in your eyes and it helps mattify. It’s also perfect for protecting the ears (which are so easy to miss when you’re applying full-body SPF!).

LSR x AesthetiCare: Sun Safety.

Sun Safety Tip #3: Get bronzed without the UV.

True life: I used to love a session in the tanning bed. High school + college years were peppered with me spending time baking myself under sun lamps. Now we know how dangerous tanning beds can be and how they prematurely age your skin. I got smart in my mid-20s and quit my tanning bed habit, but I still love the way my skin looks with a tan. (This pale + freckled girl is melanin-lacking, that’s for sure!)

Enter: sunless tanner. The only way to safely get a tan!

I love Eco Tan’s Organic Cacao Self Tanning + Firming Mousse for a quick + natural-looking tan. I leave it on for a few hours and then rinse; it gives just enough color to make you look sun-kissed without going full-stop Bronzed Vacation Goddess. Packed with ingredients like coffee, blood orange, and ginger, it smoothes skin and reduces the appearance of cellulite. Bonus: it’s paraben-, sulfate-, and cruelty-free.

When I want a deep, dark tan, I reach for this stuff from St. Tropez. It’s my go-to for I-swear-this-is-really-my-tan skin all summer long.

Self-tanner success starts with the application. Do yourself a favor a get a mitt to apply. it allows you to really rub the tanner in without staining your hands. After you’re done, rinse it with water and a little hand soap and you can use it again and again.

And you know that sticky + tacky feeling you get after self-tanning? Use a fluffy powder brush to apply a little body powder on those sticky spots and boom! Immediate dryness.

Want more sunless tanning tips? I give you a step-by-step rundown of my process toward the end of this post.

KC friends! Get your medical-grade skincare from AesthetiCare. You can trust everything they stock their shelves with is tried, tested, and true in terms of maximum results! You can score a cute pair of sunnies (clear acrylic mirrored wayfarers, so on trend!) with any SPF purchase in the month of May.

Note: if you are pregnant or thinking of becoming pregnant, check with your doctor before switching up your skincare routine to make sure the ingredients are safe to use during pregnancy.

LSR x AesthetiCare: Sun Safety.
Sun’s out, sunnies out!

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59 Comments

    1. I have been loving it- I don’t need foundation most days using this! AND my skin is protected! Win/win. 🙂

  5. I will have to check out that self tanner from St Tropez. I tried their other one in the bigger bottle (white) and it did nada. Total waste of money but this one must be more concentrated. Yup self tanner is the safest way to tan.

    Allie of
    http://www.allienyc.com

    Reply

  10. It’s only taken me 50 years to figure this out, and it IS SO important. Heck, look at my mom’s skin. It’s still darn good considering she’s in her 80’s and it’s because she works on these sun safety things!!
    XOOX
    Jodie

    Reply

    1. It is a game-changer because it makes application on the face, backs of the hands, etc., SO easy! And reapplying is a breeze, too! 🙂

    1. Yes! All that sun damage from our youth pops up in our late 20s and 30s- it’s crazy! I am definitely more diligent about SPF now!

  24. This is such a great reminder to invest in some great SPF this summer. I love a good tan myself but fear the effects of the sun’s harmful rays. Also, I’ve been dying to try St. Tropez. I currently use Fake Bake and have been wondering if I would like St. Tropez more. Have you tried Fake Bake?

    Reply

    1. I think I used Fake Bake years ago- I don’t remember having a strong opinion about it? So it probably worked okay, but wasn’t enough for me to repurchase. But that was years and years ago- maybe I would love it now?

  27. Very informative and useful post! Yes, sun can really damage the skin. Good for you that you decided to stay away from the tan bed, I have never tried them myself but I always thought they must be unhealthy, and they never give a nice tan anyway.

    These products seem amazing. A good sunscreen is worth gold.

    Reply

  29. Such important information. Young people, especially in the past, don’t realize the damage sunshine can cause; older folks can see it all too clearly.

    Reply
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