Topical products are the most important way to help protect the skin against sun damage and prevent the signs of skin aging.
Topical treatments, meaning creams and lotions we apply every day, are the most important way to protect and repair our skin. We need to treat our skin every day, and getting on a daily regimen of protecting the skin in the mornings, and repairing it in the evenings is paramount.
Any morning product must have an SPF.
In the evening, we need a topical regimen to repair our skin – that means antioxidants and other agents that not only replace what we’re missing or what the sun is destroying, but also nutrients that we can apply to the skin that make it extra protected against the sun and help repair it. Most effective skin rejuvenating agents include retinoids (Retin-A and its cousins), alpha-hydroxy acids (glycolic acid), antioxidants (vitamin C, tea extracts), peptides, and others.
After a single exposure to ultraviolet light or to an artificial sun source, skin cells demonstrate damage for a long time, up to one week. There is an inflammation in sun-exposed skin 24/7, and these changes can occur even in the winter. That’s why we need a round-the-clock regimen – to prevent further damage and to protect our skin from the sun’s rays.