Considering the number one cause of premature aging (wrinkles, lines and sun-induced brown spots) is UV exposure from daylight and sunlight, protecting your skin every single day with sunscreen is the very best way to slow down the effects of skin aging. But is applying a moisturizer with sunscreen daily (under your makeup) going to give you all-day protection? I think not.

The problem: Many sunscreen formulas degrade with exposure to UV light. The daily sebum (oil) produced on the skin can cause sunscreen to breakdown, and you very well may not have even applied it generously enough in the first place to get the full protection. These all confirm that your sunscreen just may not be protecting your skin all day like you want it to, and think it is. And this presents a huge problem that should concern you if you want to prevent skin aging…

The solution: Reapply your sunscreen every few hours. This is certainly the best solution, but it is often not convenient to do so. Are you supposed to wash your face, reapply sunscreen, reapply makeup and repeat this every two hours during the day? This certainly is not practical.

The fastest, easiest, and most effective way to ensure that your skin is protected all day is to dust the skin every few hours with a good mineral powder formulated with sunscreen. They are considered “dry” sunscreens and make reapplying very simple.

My personal favorite (and the one I use faithfully) is ColoreScience, because it’s endorsed by The Skin Cancer Foundation and contains SPF 50. I don’t use it as my makeup, even though it has a light tint, but rather as a light powder over my regular makeup to give a good physical block of protection to my skin. (I use Daily Protection SPF 30 as my moisturizer.)

I always keep a ColoreScience SPF 50 mineral powder in my handbag to touch up my skin throughout the day, as well as dust on my hands and neck and any other exposed areas.

Do your skin a favor and invest in a good SPF-containing mineral powder. You do have a say in the matter when it comes to how your skin will age and applying this extra sun protection throughout the day can make all the difference in the world for years to come.

Read: Five Essentials to Stay Tan-Free at the Beach

Read: Six Skin Habits You Should Unlearn

Which skin care products are right for you? See our nine skin types and get products recommended.

For expert skin advice, check out Skin Source–the A-Z guide on all things skin. Also sign up here for our skin tip e-newsletter, follow Renée Rouleau on Twitter and like our Facebook page. You’ll be your own skin care expert in no time!

While I generally support the FDA, and have seen the positive impact it can make in reducing these stubborn brown spots for many of my clients, I do understand people’s concern in wanting to find a natural, less controversial solution. Adding to the controversy, the Texas Attorney General’s office has made one known Hydroquinone maker remove all their products using this ingredient from the shelves of spas and medical offices. So, for those who live in Texas, Hydroquinone may be harder to access. This also has happened in the state of Florida.

For a Hydroquinone-free alternative, look for products that contain high concentrations of Magnesium Ascorbyl Phosphate, Kojic Acid, and Licorice Extract (Glycyrrhiza glabra), which can help inhibit melanin production…

My Vitamin C&E Complex has been hugely beneficial for our clients in fading stubborn brown spots, sun spots and even discoloration due to hormones and pregnancy and it’s hydroquinone-free! It’s suggested to use underneath a daytime sunscreen, 365 days a year to suppress melanin activity. (We call it a “glow in a bottle.”)

Read: How Deep Are Your Sun Spots?

Read: Seeing Brown Spots? You’ll be Surprised at One of the Causes

Have a skin concern? Check out Skin Source—the A-Z guide on everything from acne, exfoliation and large pores to brown spots, sun protection and so much more!

Sunscreen must be worn daily: Most people know the importance of wearing sunscreen 365 days a year, so they will apply it to their face, using whatever is left on their fingertips on the neck and maybe extending a little on to the chest. But for most people, if sunscreen is applied to the chest, it is not adequate enough protection as it is not applied generously enough.

How to: When you’re out of the shower, remove the top of your bathrobe so you can have the entire upper chest area exposed. Apply sunscreen generously to all areas that will be exposed to sunlight, based on what you’ll be wearing that day. (I recommend Daily Protection SPF 30 since it offers powerful UVA/UVB protection.)

After applying a generous coat of sunscreen, dust on a sunscreen mineral powder to not only even out redness and brown spots but also to prevent UV damage.

Read: The Best Sunscreen Mineral Powder to Prevent Wrinkles and Sun Damage

Beware of Sunburn: Your skin has a memory, and one really bad sunburn can haunt you years later. Here’s why…

When I was 19, I was at the beach all day and didn’t reapply sunscreen. (Yes, I was actually an esthetician at that time, but the awareness of reapplying sunscreen frequently wasn’t what it is like today.) Aside from the burn I got on my face, I also got a really bad burn on my chest. While it wasn’t so bad that I blistered, it took at least a week for the redness to dissipate. Fast forward 20 years, and when I get out of a hot shower, because of how sunburns damage capillaries and blood vessels, you can see a red area including the bathing suit lines from that really bad sunburn I got 20 years ago. The redness used to only last 10 minutes or so until my body temperature cooled down, but now in the past couple years, due to aging, thinning of the skin and a continued weakening of vessels, the redness is starting to become more visible. That one sunburn from oh-so-many years ago has done permanent damage to my capillaries and the appearance of my skin on the chest.

Get a Professional Treatment: Most skin care professionals (such as estheticians and cosmetic doctors) do provide procedures for the skin on the chest (such as lasers and chemical peels) that when performed in a series of treatments, can help remove redness and brown spots and encourage a more evenly-toned and smoother texture. Consult with your skin care professional. Click here to read more about our skin care services offered in our spas.

Read: Are You Neglecting Your Neck? Try This 3-Step Treatment At Home

Exfoliate Often: The skin on the chest tends to be less sensitive than that on the neck or face, so you can exfoliate more often than you would be able to on those other areas. Choose an at-home peel with acids that dissolve and encourage the removal of sun-damaged cells. My Triple Berry Smoothing Peel is an at-home peel, and while I suggest only using it 2-3 times a month for the face, you can definitely use it weekly on the chest to enhance the results. A facial scrub like Mint Buffing Beads can be used twice a week on the chest in circular motions is also recommended to intensify the results of an acid or chemical peel. Tip: Using an exfoliating scrub on the chest just as you enter the shower is far easier than attempting to use it while at the sink.

Be Sure to Hydrate with Anti-Aging Ingredients: Since the skin on the chest suffers from a lot of wear and tear, just like the face, it too needs its share of skin-plumping, antioxidant-boosting ingredients. Be sure to extend your nighttime moisturizer to the chest area, and for extra anti-aging benefits, use a skin-firming serum like Intensive Firming Serum underneath your moisturizer.

Read skin tips for those in their 20′s, 30′s, 40’s, 50’s and 60’s.

Cover Up With Mineral Powder: SPF-containing mineral powders (like the one I personally use from ColoreScience available for purchase here) are extremely beneficial not only for giving extra sun protection but also since they are slightly tinted, they do a great job to make the skin appear more even-toned.

Be sure to be mindful of the chest area because you want your chest area to look as great as your face and neck. Following these simple tips, you can be sure it does!

Which products are right for you? See our nine skin types and get products recommended.

For expert skin advice, check out Skin Source–the A-Z guide on all things skin. Also sign up here for our skin tip e-newsletter, follow Renée Rouleau on Twitter and like our Facebook page. You’ll be your own skin care expert in no time!

Have a skin concern? Check out Skin Source—the A-Z guide on everything from acne, exfoliation and large pores to brown spots, sun protection and so much more!

So what does that mean? It means that sunscreen, more so than any other skin care product sold over-the-counter, has the ability to prevent wrinkles and premature skin aging.

I’ve talked about the importance of sunscreen many, many times, but this study really confirms the power that sunscreen can make on your skin. So even if you’re someone that likes to keep your skin care routine to a few easy steps, making sure that applying sunscreen is one of them can make a world of difference for your skin and how it will age!

Read: How to Apply Sunscreen to the Face and Neck

Have a skin concern? Check out Skin Source—the A-Z guide on everything from acne, exfoliation and large pores to brown spots, sun protection and so much more!…

Want to have a skin consultation with skin care expert, Renée Rouleau? Click here to see which cities and countries Renée will be making appearances this year!

Read: How To Prevent Summer Sun Spots

Did you know that harmful rays from the sun can pass through the side and rear car windows? Most windshields are made of laminated glass, which prevents the windshield from shattering in an accident. Laminated glass will block the sun’s damaging rays. However, most car’s side and rear windows are not laminated glass, so rays can penetrate, damaging skin and setting the stage for premature skin aging and possibly skin cancer.

I recently purchased a new car and what sold me on the car was that the side and rear windows were tinted with a special tint used on military planes that cuts out 95% of UV rays. This esthetician means business when it comes to skin!

Consider having sunlight-control film applied to rear and side windows but always wear sunscreen applied generously to the face, neck and sides of the neck every, day so you’re protected when driving in your car – or anywhere you are…

Read: How To Apply Sunscreen to the Face and Neck

Have a skin concern? Check out Skin Source—the A-Z guide on everything from acne, exfoliation and large pores to brown spots, sun protection and so much more!

Get products recommended for your skin type by choosing one of our nine skin types.

*UPDATE: We now have our 7 participants so we no longer need any volunteers. Thank you for your interest!

Requirements to test this product:

-You must be a skin type #1, #2, #3, #4, #5 or #6–someone who produces oil and likes to use a sunscreen that is very lightweight and won’t clog the pores. If you have dry skin, this sunscreen is not for you.

-You must have previously purchased and used our Daily Protection SPF 30. You will be asked in the final feedback to compare the new formula with our previous formula. If you have not used the Daily Protection SPF 30 before, please don’t submit your name.

-Product is to be used as your daily moisturizer for seven days in a row.

-Due to the limited amount of samples available, only those who are willing to comply to product instructions and send feedback within the 25 day deadline should apply…

-Residents of the U.S. only.

If you would like to test this product, email us here.

In the email form, please include your:

-name

-mailing address

-age

-your skin type number (Choose your skin type number here)

-confirm with us that you will in fact use the product, comply to product instructions and send feedback within 30 days

Next steps: We will confirm with you via email if you have been chosen to test the product. You will then receive the product sample, directions for usage and a feedback form that needs to be emailed back in 30 days.

We only have 7 samples for testing, so we will let you know if they are no longer available.

Thank you in advance for offering to test this product! Your input is truly valuable!

Do you have suggestions for new products? We’d love to hear your comments below!

Have a skin concern? Check out Skin Source—the A-Z guide on everything from acne, exfoliation and large pores to brown spots, sun protection and so much more!

I brought five essentials that allowed me to stay protected and therefore tan and sunburn-free while at the beach.

1. Sunglasses. Protecting the delicate eye area, as well as stopping unnecessary squinting from the sun is a must. Most sunglasses offer full UV protection, but always double check to make sure yours do.

2. UV-protecting shirt. In the photo, I’m wearing a shirt over my bathing suit that protects the skin from 97% of the UVA/UVB rays–far more than a regular t-shirt. I get it from a company called Sun Precautions and it is light and airy – perfect for protecting my skin in the hot sun.

3. Big hat. Of course a big floppy hat provides excellent coverage and shade for the face, so it was comfortable to wear and kept me protected.

Read:Am I Protected from the Sun in the Shade?…

4. UV-protecting mineral powder. Most mineral powders have at least an SPF of 20, but when at the beach, I like to have a bit more protection so I use an SPF 50 from a brand called ColoreScience available for purchase here on my website. Applying cream and lotion-based sunscreens aren’t always as ideal for reapplying to the face (greasy fingers getting on my books, magazines and iPad) so what’s nice about the powder is that it comes in a self-dispensing brush so it can be easily dusted onto my skin. It’s also water-resistant so I found that it stayed on very well when swimming and snorkeling.

5. Sunscreen. For my body, I use a sunscreen spray. I find it easy to just press a button and spray it on the skin without getting my hands all greasy. I do however, hold it about 3″ away from the skin so that I really get a good coat of it. I would reapply about every 90 minutes and certainly after every swim.

All in all, it was a great vacation and as I intended, I came back as pale as when I left!

Well not exactly…little Miss Perfect got a little overconfident with her UV-protecting shirt and forgot to reapply sunscreen to the exposed area of her chest. So I actually got a touch of light sunburn. Oops! Oh well. I too, am human.

Read: Summer Tips for Protecting Your Skin During Outdoor Activities

Have a skin concern? Check out Skin Source—the A-Z guide on everything from acne, exfoliation and large pores to brown spots, sun protection and so much more!

Well, here’s why:

Did you know that even if you’re really good about wearing a hat and sunscreen this summer, the HEAT from UV rays will still make brown spots/pigmentation show up? For years, it was thought that “sun spots” were just like it says, spots from the sun. But newer research indicates that not only direct UV rays, but the heat given off from the sun will stimulate melanin activity. So basically, no matter how diligent you are about re-applying sunscreen, wearing a hat and staying in the shade, you still cannot avoid pigment stimulation. And for those of us who live in the southern states where it really gets hot, it makes it very frustrating.

What can you do?

Use a skin lightener. There are many out on the market, some over-the-counter and some available by prescription. My favorite is Renée Rouleau Vitamin C & E Complex because the action ingredient, Magnesium Ascorbyl Palmitate, is a proven melanin suppressor to keep your pigment cells asleep as much as possible, so it’s great to use during the summer and it works to lighten them, too (especially in the fall when the temperature cools!)…

Read: How to Prevent Summer Sun Spots

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Have a skin concern? Check out Skin Source—the A-Z guide on everything from acne, exfoliation and large pores to brown spots, sun protection and so much more!

Anywhere you can see your reflection will bounce off light and therefore the sun’s rays, resulting in increased UV exposure. This includes water (pool, lake or ocean), a mirror or glass (car and home windows).

Bottom line:  Shade is not a sunscreen. You’re still getting UV rays that can cause premature skin aging…

And do know that when it comes to preventing a sunburn when in direct sunlight, go by the shadow rule. The shorter your shadow, the stronger the sun = more risk. (This is between 10:00am-2:00pm) Longer shadows = less risk (but still at risk!)

Read: How to Soothe a Sunburn

Read: Which is Better? SPF 30 or SPF 100? The Answer May Surprise You

Have a skin concern? Check out Skin Source—the A-Z guide on everything from acne, exfoliation and large pores to brown spots, sun protection and so much more!

Get products recommended for your skin type by choosing one of our nine skin types.