SPF: Sunscreen Basics + Strategies

As the summer gets on it's way, let's make sure our SPF facts are up to snuff.

Why sunscreen daily?
Let me count the ways! Starting with the fact that 90% of visible signs of aging are caused by the sun. We are exposed to the sun daily (including UVA rays you might not notice) and your body counts sun exposure cumulatively. We may get wiser over the years, but we also collect more sun-time. And the damage shows up many, many years later.

Chemical Sunscreen
Containing ingredients like avobenzone, homosalate, octinoxate and others, chemical sunscreens absorb the sun’s rays, transform them into heat, which is then released from your skin. ‘Chemical’ sounds like a bad word, but it’s not here – it just describes how it functions. Chemical sunscreens take about 20 minutes to activate after application, so lotion up before heading out.

Physical Sunscreen
Physical sunscreens are ones with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide and work like a mirror, deflecting the sun’s rays from your skin. They can be less likely to clog pores, cause less allergy issues, and are ideal for everyday use, especially on your face. And they’ve come a long way from the white-nose days, so don’t worry about that. Protection is instant once applied.

UVA vs. UVB Rays
The A and B letters are scientific, but all you have to remember is A for Aging and B for Burning. UVB rays cause familiar results – sunburns.  UVA rays do quieter damage, causing wrinkles, skin cancer, and visible signs of aging. UVA rays come through clouds and windows, which is why we preach daily sunscreen.

Broad Spectrum
Sunscreen labeled ‘Broad Spectrum’ protects against both UVA and UVB rays. If it’s not labeled as such, chances are it’s only covering UVB rays (think: your less expensive body sunscreens you’ll find at the drug store). You’re best off with Broad Spectrum to make sure you’re covered, especially when it comes to your face.

The SPF Numbers
Sun Protection Factor (SPF) is a standard laboratory measurement of a sunscreen’s ability to prevent UVB damage to our skin. (Important distinction, it doesn’t measure the impact of those aging UVA rays.) If it normally takes you ten minutes to burn, generously-applied SPF 30 would keep you from burning for 300 minutes, or about five hours. (Usual Time To Burn x SPF = Protection Time). Our take? Math is not fun at the beach, so do yourself a favor and just re-apply often and liberally.

How much sunscreen?
Conventional wisdom says a ‘shot glass’ worth over your entire body, although I suggest a bit more.  All depends on height and weight.   Apply more frequently if you’re sweating or in and out of the water.

Over or used as makeup?
I'm a big fan of  straight up sunscreen as a foundation with SPF to ensure coverage.  Our clients love our  Tinted UV Protect 35 SPF facial lotion that is incredibly light and lightly tinted to blend into most skin types (haven't found anyone yet that it has not).  The other great option is to dust with our La Bella Donna Minerals to assure protection at a 25 SPF and  non-nano, so that you do not loose your makeup (and coverage) through your pores throughout the day. 

When was this stuff invented?
Want to sound smart at your summer barbecue? The first major commercial sunscreen was sold in 1936, by the founder of L’Oreal. Ten years later, it improved dramatically for soldiers in World War II. “SPF” as a standard was adopted in 1974. And before all that, ancient cultures used olive oil, rice extract, zinc oxide, and other compounds for thousands of years.

After all that, do you need some sunscreen? Visit Evoq Beauty for our selection, or book a facial and pick up some in person.

F.D.A. Finally Sets New Rules About Sunscreen Claims

Sunscreen rules to help take the guesswork out of protecting against most dangerous sun rays

Help is on the way to consumers confused by the jumble of sun protection numbers, symbols and other claims on sunscreens. Starting next summer, consumers can start looking for SPF 15 bottles with the label "broad spectrum" and feel confident they're being protected from an increased risk of cancer.

Currently, standards of protection apply only to one part of the sun's spectrum, ultraviolet B rays, which cause sunburn. Under new rules published Tuesday, they will also have to protect against the more penetrating ultraviolet A rays associated with skin cancer.

The guidelines, which spent more than 30 years in bureaucratic limbo, are designed to enhance the effectiveness of sunscreens and make them easier to use.

The key takeaway for consumers: Look for a sun protection factor, or SPF, of 15 and above that also says "broad spectrum." That's the new buzzword from the Food and Drug Administration to describe a product that does an acceptable job blocking both types of damaging rays.

Starting next summer, sunscreens with less than an SPF of 15 or that aren't "broad spectrum" will have to carry a warning label: "This product has been shown only to help prevent sunburn, not skin cancer or early skin aging."

Read the full news article HERE

Kasia Good Day Sunshine Sunscreen rated TOP SUNSCREEN on EWG!

Natural and Free from Harmful Chemicals

Good Day Sunshine Sunscreen, developed by local natural health and beauty care leader Kassie Kuehl, is a chemical-free sunscreen optimal for sensitive or traumatized skin and safe for children.

“Losing my 24 year old brother to skin cancer, I have grown well aware of the many underlying potential causes,” Kuehl said. “Unlike chemical sunscreens, I love that nature can provide remarkable ingredients that reflect and scatter away both UVA and UVB rays from your body by forming a physical barrier, without irritating or clogging your pores.”

Numerous studies now show that green tea is a powerful antioxidant, especially used on the skin.  When applied topically,   green tea is highly capable of   assisting in skin damage reduction and sun radiation.  In short, green tea helps protect your skin’s cells by providing antioxidant protection.

• FREE of chemical laden fragrances…NON-zero….zilch.
• FREE of parabens (harsh chemical or any harsh preservatives)..
• FREE of Xenoestrogens!

  Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 5% & Zinc Oxide 5%

• Inactive Ingredients: Triple Purified Water/Aqua, Aloe Barbadensis (Aloe Leaf) Gel, Vegetable Glycerine, Cucumis Sativus (Cucumber) Fruit Extract, Chrysin, Palmitoyl Oligopeptide, Hydroxysuccinimide, Palmitoyl Tetrapeptide-3, Palmitoyl Pentapeptide- 3, Persea Gratissima (Avocado Seed) Oil, Simmondsia Chinesis (Jojoba Seed) Oil, Vittis Vinefera (Grape Seed) Oil, Vegetable Glycerine, Capric/Capryllic Triglycerides, Butyrospermum Parkii (Shea Butter), Stearic Acid, Glyceryl Monostearate, Cyclomethicone, Tocopheryl (Vitamin E), Cetyl Alcohol, Mica

  EWG Website Rates Good Day Sunshine a level 1.  Superb Formulation.   Link HERE!

What you need to know! May is Skin Cancer/Melanoma Month

May starts National Skin Cancer/Melanoma Awareness Month campaign. Skin cancer is one of the most common types of cancer, with over one million people diagnosed each year!

Everyone looks forward to the sun returning in the summer, especially for those of us in the upper and midwest climates when the snow melts, school is out, the kids return home, barbecues start up, and we gravitate outside.

But it's also crucial that we pay attention to our bodies and the sun.  Yes, absolutely we need that 15 minutes of sun a day to absorb enough vitamin D, but too much sun can have adverse consequences, like skin cancer, the most dangerous of which is melanoma. A cancer that occurs in melanocytes, the cells that give skin its color, melanoma represents about 3% of all skin cancers. However, it has the highest death rate of all types and is more likely to metastasize (spread).

The Facts You Should Know

Although melanoma accounts for only about 4 to 5 percent of all skin cancer cases, it causes most skin cancer-related deaths. However, if detected and treated in its earliest stages, melanoma is often curable.

In men, melanoma is most often found on the area between the shoulders and hips or on the head and neck. In women, melanoma often develops on the lower legs.

The chance of developing melanoma increases with age, yet it is still one of the most common cancers in young adults.

Skin cancer affects one in five Americans, and more than 1 million new cases are diagnosed each year. Of these cases, more than 65,000 are melanoma, a cancer that claims nearly 11,000 lives each year.

Fast Facts About Skin Cancer

• Skin cancer and melanoma account for about 50% of all types of cancers diagnosed combined.
• Skin cancer is one of the more preventable types of cancer.
• More than 90% of skin cancer is causes by excessive exposure to the sun.
• Each hour, 1 person dies from skin cancer.

Skin Cancer and Melanoma Basics

Skin cancer is divided into two categories: melanoma and non-melanoma. Melanoma is a dangerous form of skin cancer. Although serious, non-melanomas are much less life threatening and easier to treat.

Melanoma accounts for 4% od skin cancer cases diagnosed. It is estimated that 62,000 people will be diagnosed with melanoma in 2006. Almost 8,000 are expected to die of melanoma this year.

There are two common types of non-melanoma skin cancer: basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma

Symptoms of Skin Cancer

• A small lump (spot or mole) that is shiny, waxy, pale in color, and smooth in texture.
• A red lump (spot or mole) that is firm
• A sore or spot that bleeds or become crusty. Also look for sores that don't heal.
• Rough and scaly patches on the skin.
• Flat scaly areas of the skin that are red or brown.
• Any new growth that is suspicious

If you suspect that a lump, spot, or mole may be suspicious of skin cancer, see your doctor. When detected early, it is highly treatable.

The ABCs of early melanoma detection

Melanoma appears most frequently on the trunk area in fair-skinned men and on the lower leg in fair-skinned women. In dark-skinned people, melanoma appears most frequently on the palms, the soles of the feet and the skin under nails. If caught early, melanoma is potentially curable.

Be aware of change and new growths on your body. The ABCs of melanoma provide a good guideline:

•    Asymmetry of lesion: Are the sides of the lesion different? •    Border irregularity: Are the edges notched as opposed to smooth? •    Color variation: Is the lesion a mixture of black, blue, red and white? •    Diameter: Is the diameter greater than six millimeters? (Most melanomas are larger than the head of a pencil.) •    Evolution: Is the lesion growing in width or height? •    Feeling: Has the sensation around a mole or spot changed?

These recommendations serve as a guide. Promptly show your doctor any suspicious skin area, non-healing sore or change in a mole or freckle. If exam results suggest cancer, more extensive diagnostic tests should be conducted.

Natural and Free from Harmful Chemicals

Good Day Sunshine Sunscreen, developed by local natural health and beauty care leader Kassie Kuehl, is a chemical-free sunscreen optimal for sensitive or traumatized skin and safe for children.

“Losing my 24 year old brother to skin cancer, I have grown well aware of the many underlying potential causes,” Kuehl said. “Unlike chemical sunscreens, I love that nature can provide remarkable ingredients that reflect and scatter away both UVA and UVB rays from your body by forming a physical barrier, without irritating or clogging your pores.”

Additional key benefits that set Good Day Sunshine Sunscreen apart from commercialized sunscreens:

* True broad-spectrum UVA/UVB protection

* Safe for toddlers and children

* Non-chemical sunscreen

* Moisturizing and healing properties

* PABA-free and fragrance-free

* Light and smooth formulation ideal for daily use and can be applied under makeup

* Formulated for skin sensitive to traditional sunblocks and post-treatment patients

* Formulation of  5% zinc and 5% titanium

Why add the ingredients of GREEN TEA?

Numerous studies now show that green tea is a powerful antioxidant, especially used on the skin.  When applied topically,   green tea is highly capable of   assisting in skin damage reduction and sun radiation.  In short, green tea helps protect your skin’s cells by providing antioxidant protection.

* FREE of chemical laden fragrances…NON-zero….zilch.

* FREE of parabens (harsh chemical or any harsh preservatives)..

* FREE of Xenoestrogens!

Active Ingredients: Titanium Dioxide 5%   &   Zinc Oxide 5%

Learn more about our non-scented, non greasy, easy to use physical sunblock HERE!!

Reference:  Cancerwise.com and cancerabout.com

Why put Organics in your body and then junk on your face?

La Bella Donna Minerale is the safe, "green", organic alternative to traditional make-up ingredients! There are no talc, cornstarch, extracts, mica or fillers found in the La Bella Donna Loose Mineral Foundation, unlike other foundation or mineral make-up brands. They are simply made of only 4 pure rock ingredients that are jet-milled into a fine dust:

The "Rock Stars"

Iron Oxide: many colorful rocks are blended for pigment instead of chemical dyes.

Bismuth Oxychloride: Anti-inflammatory rock that calms and soothes irritated skin.

Titanium Dioxide: Natural sunscreen from rock.

Zinc Oxide: Waterproofing rock, sunscreen, anti-inflammatory, keeps bacteria off the face, soothes redness and irritation.

Unique Benefits of LBD versus Traditional Make-up or Other Mineral Make-up Brands:

- Rock is insoluble in water and since LBD only uses 4 rock ingredients, by science alone it cannot penetrate the water barrier of skin, hence not be absorbed into the pores or bloodstream to pollute or leave traces in the liver.

- Giving your skin the benefits of all day waterproof sunscreen.

- Make-up for Cystic Acne, Rosacea, Discoloration Auto-Immune Disease, Sun damage.

- Medical Make-up Alternative for those undergoing Chemo Therapy, Post Laser Treatment, Post Facial Surgery, and Post Dermatological Treatments.

- Best make-up alternative to protect skin after a Facial. Not only will it not clog your pores, but the dust will protect renewed, clean skin with a waterproof barrier from pollution, dust mites, dirt, etc for when you leave the spa.

- Does not comes off until you remove it with cleanser at the end of the day.

- Health and Wellness alternative to traditional make-up ingredients.

- Best make-up alternative for pregnant women.

-   Complete Make-up Alternative Line

Bare Minerals VS La Bella Donna

1) The first main difference is ingredients (Quality) –

La Bella Donna holds 4 ingredients in the “loose” with NO fillers in the product line –

**That means NO Corn Starch, which is one main ingredient Bare Minerals use in their mineral veil foundation. When you mix Corn Starch with any type of oils form the skin you instantly clog pores because it becomes paste like.

2) Bare Minerals puts "MICA" as the key mineral in their foundations –

MICA is a much cheaper mineral than Titanium Dioxide, which is used by La Bella Donna. MICA is a high shine mineral and can make the skin look "shiny" which makes pores/fine lines look a bit bigger - Many people recognize this difference with La Bella Donna VS Bare Minerals as soon as you apply it to their skin.

3) The way the minerals are made is another key point

La Bella Donna puts minerals through a triple mill process (its more expensive to do this process) which grinds down them down to a very fine consistency. You can flick our minerals in the air and they will disperse in the air.

Other mineral lines do a double mill process, which makes minerals heavier - this can appear thicker on the skin and look more like make-up with a heavier feel as well. When you flick Bare Minerals in the air it slightly drops to the ground.

4) How many products you need to get the same look

If you walk into a store that carries Bare Minerals, the staff will try to sell someone 3 products –

1. 1.) A mineral foundation
2. 2.) A mineral veil to keep the minerals on longer and help with the shine (because they use MICA)
3. 3.) A hydrating setting spray (because they use drying corn starch).
4. 3 products to achieve one look at about $75.00-$95.00 not including the brushes needed.

La Bella recommends especially one product - our pure mineral loose foundation with only 4 ingredients to achieve an all day foundation (water-proof for humid areas and oily skin) that provides a full spectrum SPF 20, which gives sun protection all day long because it does not absorb into the skin. This one product is a 3-in-1 a foundation, concealer and setting agent - nothing else is needed. We don't recommend any setting spray because the 4 ingredients do exactly what dermatologists and doctors want them to do - "LESS INGREDIENTS ON THE SKIN MEANS MORE". La Bella is good for all skin types and was created for a dermatologist for post/op treatments and people going through Chemo - Bare Minerals can not compete with that because of the ingredients they put in their products.

5) Sold!

After a facial or waxing or hair service, Kasia Salon  lightly  dusts the minerals as the last step of every service - this is where you receive a whole new outlook on minerals - at this step it's being used as a water-proof SPF 20, and with 2 anti-inflammatory ingredients - it calms all and any redness down from extractions and steam - so the client feels more comfortable walking out of the salon. Plastic surgeons and dermatologists all over do dusting on clients after chemical peels, micro, laser, IPL facials, botox, etc... Bare Minerals can't do this because who wants cornstarch on their face after a facial (not good).

6) La Bella Donna products last on average 4-6 months, as our packaging is a bit bigger then that of Bare Minerals.

Just so you know, the shadows and lip products are just slightly more then Bare Minerals. Beautiful packaging and much better high quality ingredients with a nicer feel and look to the skin, is absolutely worth paying a little more.

I like to described it as fresh farmers market vegetables VS canned vegetables at the $0.99 store loaded with preservatives for the last year - same produce but the way they are kept and made is clearly different. And what they are going to do for the body is also clearly different, far from “Beautiful Health.”

I truly hope this helps answer your question discerning Bare Minerals. We all have the best of intentions, this is not meant to be a “jab” session, I just always will and have promised transparency and truth. Once one uses La Bella Donna, they really never go back - speaking from experience for myself, and my clients! I recommend everyone try the color in a Loose Mineral at $50, lasting 4 – 6 months! Mineral Brush also highly recommended at $45 for control and quality look. When you purchase any loose or compact mineral, recieve your goat application brush - 10% off!