Face Sun Protection
Prevent Sunburns, Skin Cancer and Signs of Aging

Face sun protection is not just the job of your favorite sunscreen.  You need to combine shade, a visor or hat and wrap around sunglasses to protect your face and eyes from developing fine wrinkles, drying out and becoming sun damaged.  The face is the most common place to develop skin cancer because it is the most often exposed part of the body.

Face sun protection is not just for women, children's faces need to be protected from sunburns and men are just as vulnerable to developing skin cancers and signs of aging as a result of being outside. 

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Face Sun Protection with Shade

When at the beach sit under a sun blocking beach umbrella as much as possible but especially during the hours of 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM when the sun rays are the strongest.   

I like to sit with my feet in the water in a beach chair and simply use a clamp on beach umbrella that shades and protects my face.  Find one that's adjustable so that as the sun moves you can move your umbrella to keep your face shaded. 

Face Sun Protection with Safer Sunscreen Active Ingredients

Most people look at the SPF factor when choosing a sunscreen lotion or stick and less apt to look at the sunscreen active ingredients.  Did you know that there can be harmful chemicals in sunscreen that are absorbed through the skin disrupting hormones and contributing to allergies?

"People can potentially inhale ingredients in sunscreen sprays and ingest some of the ingredients they apply to their lips, so ingredients must not be harmful to lungs or internal organs. Further, sunscreens commonly include ingredients that act as “penetration enhancers” and help the product adhere to skin. As a result, many sunscreen chemicals are absorbed into the body and can be measured in blood, breast milk and urine samples."  

The Trouble with Ingredients in Sunscreens by EWG.org

Sunscreen active ingredients come in two forms - chemical and mineral.  One chemical to avoid is oxybenzone.  Here's why:

"EWG has reviewed the existing data about human exposure and toxicity for the nine most commonly used sunscreen chemicals. The most worrisome is oxybenzone, added to nearly 65 percent of the non-mineral sunscreens in EWG’s 2017 sunscreen database. Oxybenzone can cause allergic skin reactions (Rodriguez 2006). In laboratory studies it is a weak estrogen and has potent anti-androgenic effects." (Krause 2012)

Choose sunscreen lotions and sticks that provide protection minus the oxybenzone.  The ones our family uses is this collection of lotions and sticks by Beautycounter.

Face Sun Protection with Safer Ingredients

Face Sun Protection with Beautycounter Dew Skin
Tinted Face Moisturizer with SPF

However, sitting in the shade is no guarantee that your face won't get exposed to UVA or UVB rays since the rays can bounce off the sand and water. 

I wear this tinted face moisturizer with SPF by Beautycounter.  It's especially important to wear a face sunscreen that does NOT have retinol (Vitamin A) in it because the combination of it with the sun actually can enhance wrinkles and aging skin. 

What you will like about Dew Skin Moisturizing Coverage SPF 20 is the lightweight feel that can even out skin tones while not only protecting your skin from sun damage but also moisturizing your skin with black currant and peony flower root extract. Plus the benefit of vitamin C to reduce the appearance of age spots and enhance skin brightness, while sodium hyaluronate promotes firmer, smoother-looking skin.

Moisturizing Sunscreen for Face with Safer Ingredients by Beautycounter

Beautycounter Face Sunscreen

Guard against the sun’s damaging rays with Beautycounter's SPF 25 facial sunscreen, formulated with non-nano zinc oxide. This lightweight lotion provides protection from UVA, UVB, and HEV blue light rays while leaving no chalky white cast. Antioxidants help protect skin from pollution, while chicory root extract supports skin’s moisture barrier to lock in hydration. 

Benefits: 

• Provides protection from UVA, UVB, and HEV blue light rays
• Lightweight, fast-absorbing, and easy-to-blend formula designed for all skin tones with no white cast
• Oxybenzone-free
• Octinoxate-free
• Reef-friendly

Non-Nano Zinc Oxide: a physical, mineral sun protection technology that works by reflecting UV rays

Chicory Root Extract: supports skin’s barrier function to lock in hydration

Vitamin E (Tocopherol): provides powerful antioxidant benefits that defend against environmental stressors to keep skin healthy looking

Squalane: derived from olives, draws moisture into the skin, leaving it happily hydrated

Beautycounter Countersun Daily Sheer Defense for Face

Travel Size Sunscreen Stick

Get your travel size sunscreen from Beautycounter to keep in your beach bag tote or everyday purse so you are always ready to put a quick dab of sunscreen on your nose, cheeks, forehead, and chin. You can apply and reapply all you want because you can feel good about the safer ingredients they use that have been 3rd party tested for toxins. 

Travel Size Sunscreen Stick by Beautycounter

15 SPF Lip Balm

Don't forget to protect your lips and your skin around it with an SPF lip balm.  It's especially important that you use one with safer ingredients because so much of what is put on our lips is swallowed. 

Why is this my favorite way to protect my lips?  Because it not only protects it also moisturizes which is why I carry it with me even when I'm not at the beach. 

Badger Balm Broad Spectrum Sunscreen Lip Balm Stick - SPF 15

UV Eye Protection

Sunglasses aren't worn just for the "cool" factor.  Ones that provide 100% UVA and UVB protection protect your eyes from forming cataracts and lowers your risk of developing macular degeneration, which causes the loss of your central vision. 

For the best protection you should wear wrap around sunglasses that keep the sides and top of your eyes from being exposed to the sun. Not only is this better for your vision in the long run, it also protects sensitive eye skin from developing wrinkles and signs of aging.

Wrap Around Sunglasses

Face Sun Protection with Hats and Visors

Wearing hats with sun protection is another strategy for protecting your face at the beach.  A large brim, neck protection, an adjustable strap and cool breathable fabric are features to look for. 

Face sun protection is not just about a pretty face.  It's the most common place for skin cancers to develop because the face is exposed to the sun more than other areas of the body.  This cool cotton hat comes in a variety of colors and can be found at Amazon here:

Siggi Sun Protection Hat UPF 50+ Cotton with Large Brim and Neck Flap

Men's Face Sun Protection

Face sun protection is not just for women.  Men need to protect their skin as well from UVA and UVB rays. 

A triple face sun protection strategy includes wearing a wide brimmed hat, applying sunscreen, and relaxing under the shade of a UV protection umbrella. A wide brimmed men's beach hat provides protection to your face, ears and neck while at the beach.

Titleist Men's Tour Aussie Beach Hat

I found a travel size sunscreen using safer ingredients that's convenient and easy to apply without getting hands sticky.  

Countersun Mineral Sunscreen Protects with Safer Ingredients

Unless we are swimming underwater, you will always find us wearing hats with sun protection or under a sun protection umbrella.  Don't just rely on sunscreen to protect your face, use beach umbrellas, hats, and wrap around sunglasses to reduce your risk of skin cancer, sunburns and signs of aging. 

Go from Face Sun Protection to Best Sun Protection

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