about face ...PHYL CLARKEAustralia, 1990. Mabel and I are having lunch, and I'm thinking how well she looks for a woman in her mid-60s. It's great to be with her on her birthday. Then I learn she is 43. And therein lies the lesson about why suncream is the most important item in your kit. Mabel was a sun lover, as were many of my friends during my seven-year stay in Melbourne.
My fair skin meant I had a self-protective urge to stay in the shade. I was also blessed with good skin, but I never got so many comments on my "beautiful Irish skin" as I did down under.
Spend all you like on moisturisers, serums, facials and the like, but it's money down the drain if you turn your (unprotected) face up to the sun with carefree abandon. Stable door and bolting horses come to mind. Sun damage is the number-one cause of premature ageing. Did you get that? Number one. Numero uno.
A suntan is a sign that your skin is trying to protect itself from further damage. Yet many of us still spend our holidays baking in the sun just so we can come home looking sun-kissed. There are other ways of achieving this look. I'll be exploring in the next couple of weeks.
Here comes the science bit: even at low-level exposures, UVA light breaks down collagen, causing wrinkles and sagging. Worse, scientists have found that UVA penetrates deep into the underlying support structure of the skin and is the culprit for most deadly melanomas. If you want protection from both UVA and UVB rays, suncream should contain titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzene or a mixture of the three.
Make sure it has a sun protection factor, or SPF, of at least 15. Don't forget your neck and hands. Apply, ideally, 30 minutes before exposure. Exposure includes running to the shops, going to the bus stop and nipping out to the clothes line, not just the two-week holidays when you are conscious of being in the sun. You are in the sun when you put your nose outside the door to take in the milk. You are also in the sun in the winter. So be kind to your skin, and reap the benefits.
THE GOODS
LA ROCHE POSAY ANTHELIOS XL: High-protection sunblock, as gel, milk or lotion.
€16.95 at selected pharmacies
HAMILTON EVERYDAY FACE CREAM: Smooth and non-greasy. Ideal under make-up. €9.95 at pharmacies
GARNIER AMBRE SOLAIRE COLOUR CONTROL: Blue milk that fades to white after application means you won't miss a spot.
€9.98 during promotion at all Hickey's Pharmacies ... pclarke@irish-times.ie