Here at The Spa at Bedford Lodge Hotel, we’re loving the recent sunshine. What could be finer than enjoying the light, warmer days, set against the backdrop of the beautiful Newmarket countryside. However, while it’s wonderful to feel the warmth of that glorious summer sun, it’s important not to forget to protect your skin and that means including an adequate sun protection factor (SPF) in your skincare routine. Whether the sun is out or not, your skin is still vulnerable to the effects of the UVA and UVB rays, so it’s important that you ensure your skin stays protected at all times. So when it comes to choosing adequate SPF, what should you be going for?
The SPF in a product is used to gauge the longevity of protection from the UVB rays provided – eg, wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of 30, would allow you to stay in the sun 30 times longer without burning than if you were to wear no protection. One of my go-to luxury spa products at this time of the year is Epionce’s fabulous Ultra Shield SPF 50 sun lotion, which provides ultimate UVA and UVB protection and yet smooths on easily under makeup, leaving no tell-tale white residue.
Whatever product you choose make sure it contains a broad spectrum sunscreen which means that not only does it protect from the UVB rays, responsible for burning the superficial layers of the skin but also the UVA rays, which go deeper, causing premature ageing and DNA damage. The SPF number refers to the level of protection provided against UVB rays. To find out the level of UVA protection, look for the UVA star system on the back of the product. The stars, ranging from 0-5, give an indication of the percentage of UVA protection provided by your sunscreen.
No sunscreen can provide 100% protection. I think the safest and easiest way to achieve a gorgeous golden glow this season is with our special Kissed by Mii tan treatment. This hydrating tanning boost, with marine minerals, will keep your body looking healthy, hydrated and sun-drenched from top to toe.
Here comes summer!
Love Rebecca
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