Monday, July 2, 2012

WRINKLES VS. POOR SKIN TONE: SUNSCREEN PT. 1

Maintaining good skin tone  and color is sometimes harder than losing weight.  Coconut oil can help. Blotchy skin, dark spots or skin with the texture of sandpaper are the signs of sun damage on the skin of women of color.   Coconut oil's natural sunscreen properties protect skin. 
Protecting your skin's  sun drenched tone and color  is the best anti-aging strategy you can follow because even-colored skin tone  is sexy and youthful.
This is key regardless of the actual color of your skin, regardless if you have creases and regardless of your ageWrinkles may be the least of your worries. Some German researchers conducted a study of what observers actually  considered attractive and youthful:  Even-toned skin color won!

"OLD SCHOOL" SKIN CARE STRATEGIES

  • You cake-on foundation  and an oil slick slides off  your face in a heat wave.
  • You  use a powder, but it’s touch-and-go to get realistic coverage that is not ashy looking.
  • Or, you slap on skin bleach or a whitener.  In a word, they are “DANGEROUS” not only for your skin but they will seriously damage your internal organs like your liver or kidneys.  I no longer use them at all.
 It’s never too late to upgrade and still have delicious looking, sun painted skin color. For me, the best way to keep even skin tone is to use sun protection creams or sunscreens.
So here are my sunscreen rituals to keep an even, radiant skin tone.

SUNSCREEN TIPS

  1. I use only low SPF (sun protection factor) sunscreens to avoid losing my body’s ability to produce Vitamin D hormones from sunlight.
  2. Naturally clear coconut oil is about a SPF 6, great for hot, partly cloudy days when I won’t spend more than a few minutes an hour outside.  I simply mix coconut oil with a few drops of water (no lime) for easy application.  Coconut oil’s low SPF is great for your off days.
  3. Clear sunscreen sprays with SPF rating between 6 and 15 are easy to apply.  Non-oily looking products are available at drugstores everywhere.
  4. Sunscreen products rated from SPF 15 to 30, that shield out broad-spectrum ultraviolet sunlight waves, are serious products that could diminish your skin's ability to produce Vitamin D hormones. However, they provide powerful protection from the sun.  I only occasionally and rarely use them when I am going to spend all day at a shade-less summer festival or beach. Test brands at department store beauty counters to eliminate products with whiteners just like you would test foundation colors.
  5. Foundations formulated with sunscreens and better color tints are getting easier to find. Test, test, test the look! Remember, they all seem to detract from sexy radiant and radiating skin color even if artfully applied.
  6. Big brim hats  and clothes that cover exposed skin are truly the most sensible solutions if you are going to be in the sun all day.  Or, try that hot new trend (really old school) of using an umbrella  on a sunny day during a heat wave.  Just perform your activities after you apply coconut oil for the light SPF benefits.
Pat Thomas for Coco Mojo until next time…

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