BEAUTY: the new

Beauty

Meet the new ‘protective make-up’. Just like your best sunscreen, it’s broad spectrum and high protection. Apply it liberally and evenly – but remember, you still need water-resistant sunscreen if swimming or sweating (and Cancer Council Australia also recommends layering the two for long days in the sun). Don’t forget to touch up frequently! Taking cover

HIGH COVERAGE Maybelline Dream Urban Cover SPF40, $25.95, is broad-spectrum with clarifying niacinamide and nourishing vitamin E.

BUILDABLE COVERAGE Avene Tinted Compact Cream SPF50, $17.99, is perfect for touch ups on the run with broadspectrum mineral filters and vitamin E.

LIGHT COVERAGE Revision Intellishade TruPhysical SPF45, $75, is a lovely, broad-spectrum moisturising mineral tint with a host of antioxidants. w

Sun

We all know the sun for the sake of our sk ing is confusing and dark spo what your skin ne c ley.

Sunscreen speak

Let’s decipher some new phrases you might enco while sunscreen shop w un t ing. e

REEF SAFE Free of c filters linked to coral bleaching. Hawaii has banned some, however dermatologist Dr Natasha Cook says “the science is not clear”. ica ll

OCEAN SAFE Highly waterresistant formulas that are less likely to wash off in the waves and possibly affect marine life.

ORGANIC Sometimes used to describe mineral sunscreens or other ingredients inside, e.g. organic rosehip oil.

BROAD SPECTRUM/UVA Contains UVA shields (since only UVB rays come under the SPF rating). Remember, there’s no UVA measure so we never know exactly how much UVA protection we’re getting. Best move: choose excellent UVA shields like Mexoryl and zinc, plus added antioxidants to fight sun damage.

BLUE LIGHT is next on the spectrum after UVA/UVB. It’s emitted from the sun and your smartphone/tablet/computer. It’s linked to pigmentation and collagen breakdown.

WITH SUNSCREENS The product may have an SPF rating overseas but hasn’t been tested in Australia. Elizabeth Arden Great 8 Eight Hour Daily Defense Moisturizer with Sunscreens, $50.

creen safety is in the spotlight, and there’s no doubt we need o reduce our risk of brown sp ots, wrinkles and crepey skin. The best type? The one you’re happy to wear religiously. Saving face Sunsc it t S

neral sunscreens, scatter UV using zinc or titanium dioxide. Here’s what you need to know: a ka mi UV i Physical sunscreens

Absorb UV light into the skin, convert it to heat and deactivate it. Here’s what you need to know: Chemical sunscreens

THEY’RE GENTLE and don’t cause allergic reactions, with strong, long-lasting protection.

THEY’RE DIFFERENT Titanium dioxide (TD) is better at diverting UVB rays which make us burn; zinc is better at reflecting the UVA rays that drive dark spots and wrinkles. Blends offer the best of both.

THEY’RE SHEER thanks to nano particles. The Environmental Working Group says these don’t penetrate skin. In one study less than .01 per cent of nano zinc entered the bloodstream.

THEY’RE LIGHT with a “cosmetically elegant” feel and invisible finish for all skin tones.

THEY’RE SAFE according to current research. Common filters have been shown to enter the bloodstream, “but no direct correlation to any negative effect has been shown,” says Dr Cook.

THEY’RE BEST when blended with other chemical or mineral filters (as some types break down quickly in the sun) and antioxidants to boost protection against free radicals.

LIGHT TOTAL

Try: Clinique City Block Sheer Oil-Free Daily Face Protector SPF25, $42, blends zinc and TD into a make-up primer.

Try: Ultra Violette SPF50+ Queen Screen, $47, feels like a serum and offers extra peptide protection against sun damage.

SILKY

Try: Paula’s Choice Super-Light Daily Wrinkle Defense SPF30, $29.95, a wearable zinc tint for fairer skins.

NONNANO

BEST

Try: La Roche Posay Anthelios XL Ultra-Light Fluid SPF50, $29.95, contains the ultimate UVA filter, Mexoryl.

HANDY

Beauty

Hot spots

We all know how pesky pigmentation can be and research shows it’s more ageing than wrinkles. So, if we’re still getting uneven tone despite donning hats and high SPF, what are we doing wrong? Getting hot, apparently. Experts know UV exposure causes blotches (including melasma) and now they blame heat, too. Heat causes our melanocytes to produce pigment, lowers antioxidants in the skin and increases proteins that break down collagen. One study found just 30 minutes of heat three times per week can change your skin after six weeks. Dr Cook’s suggestions? “Keep cool and wear mineral sunscreens that physically block infrared (heat)”.

Out, damned spot! To fade blotches, “add in a prescription hydroquinone or kojic acid cream from your dermatologist,” says Dr Cook. But first, try the ultimate clarifying trio:

PEELS with alpha hydroxy acids or beta h acids can gently exfoliate ut of the skin. EL hydroxy acid excess pigment out of t

Pictured below are the areas we often forget (or neglect) to apply sunscreen to, according to a 2019 study. Solution: Mesoestetic Sun Stick Mesoprotech SPF50+, $49.80, contains nourishing rosehip oil in a sensitive, ultra-high protection, broad-spectrum formula.

D : Ole Henriksen Glow2OH Dark Spot Toner, $39.

VITAMIN C brightens the skin, builds collagen and protects from further damage.

Try: Murad Rapid Age Spot Correcting Serum, $115.

NIACINAMIDE (vitamin B3) blocks pigment and strengthens skin health.

Try: Dr Natasha Cook Concentrated Illuminator, $99 .

Patch test: what spot removal really feels like Matching your blotches to a treatment depends on your skin and your pigmentation. Is it a freckle, an age spot, a sun spot, or melasma (which can be worsened by laser, according to Dr Cook)? Then there’s the treatment types. Pico, Q Switch, Erbium, CO2 peel ... ask your dermatologist which one su its, ho w many vis its it takes and the resu lts, since not all pa tches c ompletely disappear. So, what happens when they are zapped? My spots are small and not too dark; they almost disappear with a dab of concealer and a nice overcast day. I use the right skincare but they won’t budge, so dermatologist Dr Eleni Yiasemides at SouthDerm suggested BBL Sciton. It’s a broadband light device and after a few hot flashes, it was done. My spots darkened for the next week (and were trickier to cover) before fading again. Did they disappear? No. Was it worth it? Yes, they’ll need upkeep next year but, months later, they’re still far softer. With a trio of visits they may even disappear.