PROTECTING & REPAIRING YOUR SKIN FROM THE SUN

The sun has many benefits — providing us essential vitamin D for immunity and glowing skin.

But it's all about balance, below are some tips that will help protect & repair your skin.

We checked in with Anato’s founder, Céline, to get some skin tips.

Céline has an active lifestyle. When she isn’t in the studio making products, filling orders, and living out her role as a chief alchemist, she is found outdoors. Whether she is bike commuting, mountain biking, surfing, SUPing, or even windsurfing, all of her time outdoors, exposed to the elements in sunny Santa Cruz has given her lots of practice protecting & repairing her skin from the sun. 

PROTECT: (hat & long sleeves always recommended...)

I urge you not to sunbathe during the sun's peak hours (10am-4pm)!

If you want to get some sun rays, do so right when the sun comes up, and two hours before sunset. This way you'll also benefit from healthy infrared light.

If you must lie like a lizzard when the sun is at its peak, then do so for up to 20 minutes with SPF 50 sunblock and when your skin is already seasoned (aka: not for your first sun of the season). Of course, darker skin has a little more wiggle room.

For protection, check out Anato’s Ocean Friendly Sunblock.

REPAIR: Sun Damage

 If you were to get a little too much sun... the best solution is aloe vera.

Do yourself a favor and go buy an aloe. Take a piece of it, an 'arm' and pop it in the freezer. If you did get a little too much sun you can use a spoon to scoop the cold gel out and apply it on your skin.

Our Baume Reparateur, with tamanu & karanja oils also help repair the skin.

HOT TIP: Photosensitive Products/Oils

Essential oils from trees in the CITRUS family (exception: sweet orange) are notoriously photosensitive; making your skin more sensitive to the sun.

They contain furocoumarins. These are naturally occurring chemical compounds produced by specific plants as a defense mechanism to ward off bugs in nature.

So, keep an eye out for 'citrus' ingredients, 'phototoxicity'.

Furanocoumarin Free = safe to use in the sun

CLEANSE: How to Remove Sunblock on Your Body

I know some of you still use oxybenzone-based sunblocks on your body because you can't be bothered with thicker zinc-based products that are harder to apply. You NEED TO REMOVE this endocrine disruptor from your skin (remember: skin is permeable!) 

Wipe the greasy layer of sunblock off with a towel and then with soap & water in the shower. 

Natural sunblock users: you also need to remove sunblock and let your skin breathe at night. 

CLEANSE: How to Remove Sunblock on Your Face

I really hope you're all using physical sun protection (zinc or titanium based sunblocks), on your face. Firstly, for the reason mentioned above and secondly, because runny chemical sunscreen that stings the eyes due to water or sweat is unnecessary suffering. You can remove zinc sunblock with the simple use of oil and a cotton round.

HYDRATE: Internally & externally

Drink at least 2 L of fresh water a day and hydrate your skin with oils & balms. 

A perfectly hydrated skin will be more plump and smooth. In addition, the melanin (skin pigmentation that leads to tanned skin) 'coat' will avoid moving up to the surface in splotches (pigmentation spots) and allows for a more homogenous dispersion of pigment - aka a nicer tan!

EXFOLIATE: Frequently

If you have dead skin cells at the surface of your skin you won't be able to hydrate your skin properly, which will tarnish your tan. And, a more exfoliated skin will enable better skin hydration. 

My favorite body exfoliation technique right now is dry brushing. In the summer, exfoliate your entire body twice a week. 

BONUS TIP: Don't sun-dry your wet body!

Use your towel to dry off your body when you come out of the water. What happens when you 'air dry' in the sun is that you dehydrate your skin unnecessarily by osmosis (more on this topic soon!) 

And as a reminder....

Hope you're all getting healthy amounts of Vitamin D!

Foods that protect your body from the sun

Learn it all in our FREE downloadable guide