Being "Sunwise"....

I live in New Zealand and right now we're in the middle of a really hot summer. The festive season is over and for some people the new working year has started. Lazy hot sunny days at the beach, the park, around the house, visiting family and friends. A "hot bed" for sun damage to our bodies...and long term health and beauty problems if we do not heed the advice to be sun wise.

We all know the guidelines for good skin care in the summer:

Start as early as babies to use sunscreen and raise awareness - the earlier the better

Use sunscreen every day and re-apply it throughout the day especially after swimming or using a towel

Use anti aging moisturizer with antioxidant daily

Wear a hat with a broad brim - if wearing only a cap, remember to put sunscreen on ears and around the neck

Wear sunglasses to protect from 99%-100% UV absorption

Stay out of the sun between the hours of 10am - 4pm

Drink lots of water to keep body hydrated and skin moisturized

Stay in the shade and be aware of glare from the sun wherever you happen to be

No protection means:

Sunburn, wrinkles and leathery skin as we age, age spots and skin cancer

A tan indicates that melanin, which gives skin and hair its color, has already put a barrier up to protect the skin from further sun damage

A Queensland Institute of Medical Research study was recently released where 1621 residents participated to assess the effect of sunscreen on skin cancer risk factors. This was carried out between 1992 and 1996: half the participants used sunscreen daily whilst the other half used it as they normally would. After fifteen years, results showed that the participants who used it as per normal suffered from melanoma at double the rate of those who used sunscreen daily.


There are many brands of sunscreens available on the market today and everyone has a favorite. Obviously the price, SPF rating and the best quality for your skin care needs will affect your choice. Here we have chosen to highlight one of the newest from the Neutrogena range.

This summer Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch sunblock SPF100 arrived on our shores. There are many benefits in using this product: it's good for oily skin, you can wear it with or without foundation, it's lightweight and dries quickly, it's non greasy, protects against skin aging UVA and burning UVB rays PLUS it is PABA free.

Whatever product you use remember that it pays to shop around, use sunscreen liberally and discard products that are older than a couple of summers ago for best results.