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Susan Posnick Cosmetics: Serious Protection Against Skin Cancer

FitSugar — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 10:00:00 -0700

Mineral powders for your face are all the rage now. Not only are they all natural, but they're a great weightless foundation that makes your skin look even and shine-free. The best part is these minerals also contain SPF, which protects your skin from the sun's harmful rays. Bare Escentuals was the pioneer in mineral powders, and now many other companies have come up with their own versions. My favorite is one made by Susan Posnick Cosmetics.

I absolutely love her minerals known as Coloflo ($64), and prefer them to Bare Escentuals bareMinerals. To find out why

Which SPF Do You Regularly Wear?

FitSugar — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 04:30:00 -0700

Summer always reminds us to lather up the sunscreen. In the colder months, I wear SPF 30 on my face every day, but in the Summer I wear it all over my body. I know I am not the only one covering up with sunscreen right now, but which SPF do you generally use?Source

What Should You Look for When Buying Sunscreen?

FitSugar — Mon, 19 May 2008 08:00:00 -0700

Hopefully you're stocking up on sunscreen for the sunny season ahead. Aside from avoiding the sun entirely, it is your best defense against skin cancer. The Mayo Clinic has a list of recommendations for what to look for when buying sunscreen and here are the highlights.

Select a sunscreen that says broad spectrum on the bottle. These provide protection against both UVA and UVB rays.
It should have an SPF of 15 or higher. Remember that sunscreens with an SPF of 45 or higher don't allow you to stay out longer. You still need to reapply every two hours.
Make sure the label says that it contains sunscreen. Some lotions and tanning oils don't, so they'll offer no protection from the sun's harmful rays.
In the list of ingredients, it should say one these: oxybenzone, sulisobenzone, avobenzone (Parsol 1789), ecamsule, titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.
If you have sensitive skin, choose one that is free of fragrance, dyes, and preservatives.
If you spend time in the water, choose one that is water-resistant. If you exercise outside, select one that is sweatproof.

Remember, when applying your well researched sunscreen be sure to use enough. It takes about a shot glass worth of sunscreen to cover your entire body.
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SPF 15, SPF 30, SPF 45: Seriously, What's the Diff?

FitSugar — Mon, 28 Apr 2008 03:00:00 -0700

The snow is gone and Spring is finally here. The warmth of the sun may feel sweet on your skin, but do remember that those rays can cause premature skin aging and skin cancer. Thank goodness for sunscreen! Shopping for protection from the sun can be more than a bit confusing with SPF ratings that range from 2 to 60.

For starters, SPF stands for sun protection factor, but the numbers don't refer to how long you can spend outside without getting a sunburn, they refer to the amount of UVB protection the product offers. UVB rays were once thought to be the sole type of sun ray that caused skin cancer. Sunscreens with SPF 15 filter out 93 percent of UVB rays; SPF 30 filters out 97 percent. The thing is, wearing a sunscreen with a higher number, such as SPF 45, won't allow you to stay out longer, since the effectiveness of sunscreen decreases over time. Plus if you're active, either swimming or sweating in the sun, the moisture can wash sunscreen away, leaving your skin less protected. So it's a good idea to reapply sunscreen every two hours, just to be sure. Don't wait to see if your skin is turning red before reapplying since a sunburn may take up to 24 hours to appear fully.

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Protect Your Lips From the Sun

FitSugar — Thu, 02 Aug 2007 10:51:46 -0700

When you go outside to enjoy the warmth and sunshine, you've got to protect your lips from the sun's harmful rays. That skin can get sunburned too, and excessive exposure could cause lip cancer.

Just as you apply sunscreen to your skin, you need to apply sunscreen to your lips. Many lipsticks, lip glosses, and lip balms contain SPF, so check those labels ladies.

Here's a list of some of my favorite protective lip balms and lipsticks. Beeswax lip balm from Burt's Bees is still my all time favorite even though it doesn't contain any SPF, so I just reserve it for nighttime use if my lips feel dry after spending a day in the sun.

Sunscreen Stats

FitSugar — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 10:15:00 -0700

Just to see if you all have been paying attention, I have a few questions about sunscreen for you. It is kind of like a "pop" quiz, but really it is a Fit quiz.

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