FASHION Magazine

By Lesa Hannah

Photography by Carlo Mendoza

We don’t need to school you on why it’s imperative to use sunscreen. But what you should know is that wearing it doesn’t give you licence to frolic on the beach all day. “The idea of sunscreen is not to put it all over, then run around in a thong. It doesn’t work that way,” says Hamilton, Ontario-based dermatologist Dr. Peter Vignjevic. That makes sense, given that no sunscreen can protect you completely.

Since no one is going to sit indoors all season, here are the ground rules: Wear at least SPF 30, and only one that offers broad-spectrum coverage, which protects against both UVA (present all day, all year long, and causes aging) and UVB rays (strongest in summer, especially between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m., and causes burns). Look for a combination of chemical and physical blockers, such as Parsol 1789 plus Mexoryl SX and titanium dioxide, suggests Vignjevic. “You have to block all types of ultraviolet light. It’s like preventing a robber from getting into the house; you have to lock the windows and the doors,” he says. And that includes making sure you apply enough product—one teaspoon for your face and one for both hands, two for each arm, and three to four for each large area (back, chest, stomach) and for each leg—every two to three hours, and at least 15 minutes before you even venture outdoors, so that it can soak in.

Your hair also requires safeguarding, especially if it’s been coloured. “The cuticle is even more open and has become weaker,” says Greg May of Greg May Hair Architects in Toronto. “The heat from the sun also opens the cuticle, and the UVA and UVB rays can not only damage the hair but also fade the colour.” Most hair sunscreens use sunflower oil extract, known for its photo-protective qualities. Apply one to wet hair, he advises, for optimal absorption.

Where to get it:
Coppertone Continuous Spray Sunblock SPF 30 ($13, at drugstores)
Vichy Capital Soleil Total Block Cream SPF 45 ($23, at drugstores)
Banana Boat Ultra Mist Clear Sunblock SPF 30 ($10, at drugstores)
Phytoplage Protective Sun Veil ($30, at salons)
La Roche-Posay Anthelios Spray 30 SPF ($24, at drugstores)
Aveeno Sunblock Spray SPF 30 ($14, at drugstores)
Avène Very High Protection Lotion 30 SPF ($29, at drugstores)
Frédéric Fekkai Invisible Protect Sun Bandana ($26, at Holt Renfrew)

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