Beauty Terrorist - Your Skin and the Sun
So far Beauty Terrorist has taught you how to combat the hand luggage product police at the airport, get the glamorous Desperate Housewives look without taking out a loan for cosmetic surgeryand what treats you should invest in when a birthday just happens to happen on the road and you have a little extra cash.
In August we're going to run with the best topics so far and relate our beauty prescription the health tips in Backpackers's Bites. This month we're going to point you towards the best products that protect your very valuable skin against the sun.
Story Highlights
- Creams, Oil and Natural Defences
- What we Recommend When You're on a Budget on The Road
- Cash to Burn and Where to Burn it When Flashpacking
Creams, Oils and Natural Defences
Natural Defences: In today's globally warmed and atmosphere deprived world, our skin's natural protection against direct sunlight only provides an effective defence for approximately twenty minutes. Beyond that point the damage starts to accumulate and what can start as a burnt and irritated mole, can turn into something far more serious and ultimately life threatening. That's why it's so important to protect your skin if there's any probability that you'll be exposed to the unkind sun rays for more than twenty minutes.
Creams: Creams have long been and still are the most widely used, effective and affordable methods of increasing your skin's ability to fight off damaging UV and UVA rays. Anything below a SPF (Sun Protection Factor) 15 is effectively worthless and even though it might prevent you from burning, it won't prevent the deeper cell damage that you cant see.
Oils: These are favoured by the tanorexics in the backpacking crowd. Generally they have a SPF of zero which makes using these, rather dangerous. Some oils are even based on mineral oil which is a level one carcinogen. That word is a derivative of cancer and therefore, very bad news.
Anything below a SPF (Sun Protection Factor) 15 is effectively worthless
In a similar fashion to low factor cream, oils can prevent you from burning and they accelerate tanning, because they act as a moisturizer and allow your skin to breathe - as it's slowly cooked by the sun. On rare occasions you can get factor 15 oils from brands like Hawaiin Tropic, but they're generally illusive and worth avoiding.
What we Recommend When You're on a Budget on The Road
Some of the best deals on skin defence come in pairs. For example on most Ambre Solaire products from Garnier, you can but a decent, mid range sun cream and get the after sun thrown in for free - or half it's usual price.
If you're in danger of burning up in the UK when it's hit by one of the increasingly regular heat waves, then we recommend a trip to Boots or Superdrug. You can find them on most high streets and inside you'll more than likely find a great two for one deal.
Our favorites include Factor 50 UV Sensitive Protection Spray for Sun intolerant skin, from Ambre Solaire. It's one of the strongest defences out there and you can pick up a decent sized bottle for as little as £5.25.
Even when you finish your direct defence against exposure, your skin's work is by no means complete. After a day of tanning, your skin's moisture levels will be dangerously low which is why it's important to apply an effective After Sun lotion.
it's important to apply an effective After Sun lotion
We recommend Ambre Solaire Skin Soother Hydrating Milk. It's a mere £7.99 from most shops and it uses a clever cactus extract to infuse moisture into your dried out epidermal layer.
Cash to Burn and Where to Burn it When Flashpacking
Flash packing is one of the most popular terms to hit our backpacking corner of the tourism industry in the past ten years. It represents the finer things in life that travellers treat themselves to, after many long, arduous and mundane hours, spent in the temporary jobs that made their backpacking dreams a reality.
One of the effects of sun exposure yet to be addressed is that of pre-mature aging. Now After Sun and moisturizers generally do a good job of combating this, but if you hit a birthday on the road and fancy getting hold of the good and great anti aging stuff, then check this out.
light reflecting particles help to conceal bags and imperfections
Pro-ferm are a company that produce a fantastic range of anti aging solutions. The St Christopher's favorites are:
Protective Day Cream with Hyaferm and Glucaferm. It's £65 and it's totally worth it for a non greasy, easily absorbed, every day moisturiser that produces results. Fine lines disappear, toxins are banished and it's cheaper and less painful than freezing your muscles with Botox.
Instant Lifting Serum. This flashpacking essential clocks in at £75 but if you're an impatient partying traveller who wants instant results for a night on the town, then this is your ticket. It's almost like a moisturising foundation too because the light reflecting particles help to conceal bags and imperfections that otherwise limit pulling potential!
Pro-Ferm is available from Space NK – mail order and stockist 020 8740 2085.
That's all for this instalment. Live long and moisturise.
