Summer Sun Care Beauty Myths
5 Summer Beauty Myths You Need to Stop Believing
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We're all guilty of taking things at face value or listening to the advice of our elders without question. But when it comes to Summer beauty — and sun protection in particular — this could lead to bad habits. With the beauty world constantly evolving, we're learning more and more about how to look after our skin and hair, but there are some very big Summer beauty myths still floating around. So if you're still skipping SPF in search of a "healthy tan," and dousing your delicate locks with lemon juice in the pursuit of "natural" highlights, it's time to get real. These Summer beauty myths need busting, now!
My SPF Is High Enough That I Don't Need to Reapply Sunscreen During the Day
SPF 50 protects you 50 times longer in the sun, so you don't need to reapply it all day, right? Wrong.
The SPF system is calculated this way, but the truth is a lot more complicated. First of all, if you burn easily (like within 10 minutes of being in strong direct sunlight), even a high factor like 30 is only going to give you five hours of protection. But that's just the beginning. The calculation of an SPF is based off a heavy application of thick product in a lab setting, not the quick three-minute rub down most of us give ourselves. It doesn't take into account sweating, swimming, clothing rubbing against the product, or other factors that reduce protection as the day goes by. To add more fuel to the fire, in tests, some big brand sun care products have been proven to have a lower SPF than the label suggests.
For maximum protection from harmful rays, sun protection should be reapplied every 2 hours, more often if you have skin that burns easily. Always use a high SPF, even if you tan easily: sun cream protects from more than just sunburn.
Lemon Juice Is a Great Natural Hair Lightener
Hands up: who's put lemon juice on their hair to encourage natural highlights? It really is a natural lightener, but those golden streaks comes at a price. Using neat lemon juice on your hair in the baking hot sun will wreck your roots; lemon juice is an acid, after all. Your hair will also become a playground for wasps and bees.
A better option would be to trust your hair to a professional, especially now there are new products like Olaplex to help protect the hair when it's bleached. But if you must try a DIY approach, at least give your hair half a chance of staying healthy. Mix your lemon juice with water and oil in a spray bottle and spritz into your roots, or try a spray designed to gently lighten the hair like John Freida Sheer Blonde Go Blonder (£6). If this brings back bad memories of Sun-In as a teenager, trust me that things have come a long way since then. For something even gentler, Lush Marilyn (£6.50) is a hair mask full of ingredients (including lemon juice) designed to gently lighten as it deep-conditions.
There's Nothing Quite Like a "Healthy" Tan
Most of us are used to applying positive-sounding words like "healthy" and "glowing" to a tan, but the truth is there's nothing healthy about a tan. Whatever your natural skin colour is, that's the "healthy" version of your skin.
A tan is the skin's last defence against permanent damage. You are literally baking your skin in the sun, and pigment cells in the skin react by stepping up production of melanin and sending melanosomes to the skin's surface to act as a filter to stop it burning.
I'm not telling you not to tan (safely — with a high SPF and frequent reapplication), but don't fall into the trap of believing there's anything "healthy" about it. The moment you lie out in the sun, you put strain on your skin. The only health benefit we get from sun exposure is vitamin D, and there are pills for that if you're deficient!
I Don't Need Sun Cream in the UK
There's only one sun, and while it may shine brighter in other parts of the world, it can still do some serious damage on home soil. It doesn't matter if you're hitting Barbados or Bournemouth, if you're going to expose yourself to the sun, you need protection. Aside from the risk of burning or developing skin cancer, a broad spectrum SPF will also protect your skin from premature ageing. Slather on that SPF 30 and you'll reap the rewards in a few years time when you look 10 years younger than all your friends!
Fake Tan Is Messy, Smelly, and Takes Ages to Apply
If your only experience of fake tan is using a sticky lotion with an eight-hour developing time, I can understand why you only fake tan once in a blue moon. But recent innovations have made it much easier to avoid stained sheets and biscuit-like aromas, making it easier than ever to get the only truly "safe" tan there is.
St Tropez's revolutionary in-shower gradual tan (£15) allows you to build a glow in three minutes while your conditioner is working its magic. There's also a similar product on offer from Rimmel (£10). If you need that glow in a hurry, try the new formulas that can be washed off in as little as an hour. Cocoa Bronze leads the way with its 1-hour tanning mousse (£8) while He-Shi offers a liquid formula (£23.50), and celeb tanner James Read brings you a luxe version with his Express Tan (£30).
If longevity is the issue for you, Vita Liberata's pHenomenal 2-3 week tan (£25) lasts far longer than anything else on the market and will easily see you through a Summer holiday. It also fades evenly, so when it does disappear, you don't look patchy.
