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Sun Damage Leads To Dark Spots, Crepey Skin & Damage — An Underrated Tip To Help

Alexandra Engler
Author:
September 29, 2024
Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
By Alexandra Engler
Senior Beauty & Lifestyle Director
Alexandra Engler is the senior beauty and lifestyle director at mindbodygreen and host of the beauty podcast Clean Beauty School. Previously, she's held beauty roles at Harper's Bazaar, Marie Claire, SELF, and Cosmopolitan; her byline has appeared in Esquire, Sports Illustrated, and Allure.com.
Woman taking an outdoor shower in the sun
Image by Studio Firma / Stocksy
September 29, 2024
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Sun damage not only leads to serious health conditions such as melanoma, but it accounts for up to 90% (!!!) of all visible signs of aging1, such as dark spots and crepey skin. That’s why proper sun care is essential.

Now when I say sun care, most folks immediately think I mean sunscreen. And I do! But that's not all I mean. Protecting yourself from the damaging effects of UV radiation requires a more thoughtful, well-rounded approach.

I talk about all the ways you’ll want to care for your skin while in the sun here, so it’s worth pursuing to get yourself up-to-speed on the latest. 

Another vital (but often overlooked) step is post-sun care. "Most people don't realize that taking care of your skin after sun exposure is just as important as taking preventive measures," board-certified dermatologist Kim Nichols, M.D., once told mindbodygreen. 

So, after you’ve spent a day outdoors, basking in the summer rays, nurture your skin with these easy steps.

Rehydrate the skin with this blend of ingredients

The most important step in your post-sun routine is to rehydrate your skin with a high-quality moisturizer. You’ll want to find a well-rounded moisturizer that has humectant, emollient, and antioxidant ingredients.

This will help attract water into the skin (thanks to the humectants), bolster the barrier and improve water retention (thanks to the emollients), and fight free radicals (thanks to the antioxidants). 

If that sounds like a tall order, the good news is that the hero ingredient of after-sun care also happens to be a humectant: aloe vera. Now isn’t that convenient? In addition to its humectant properties, the botanical is also an antioxidant that can help reduce inflammation and brighten overall tone. 

As for emollients, take your pick: there are options a-plenty! I often recommend oat extracts, such as colloidal oat or oat oil, as they have enhanced soothing properties.

Oat oil, in particular, has been shown to upregulate ceramide production in the skin, making it a notable ingredient for skin barrier strength and water retention. 

Editor’s tip:

To make your body lotion more effective, apply it on damp skin post shower. After a day in the sun, we recommend rinsing off in a cool shower (not only will this feel refreshing, but the cool water can help soothe inflammation on the skin), gently pat the skin semi-dry, and then apply your moisturizer. 

You also need to load up on antioxidants. UV exposure triggers a cascade of free radicals in the body. Free radicals wreak havoc on the skin, resulting in collagen decline, fine lines, crepey skin, and discoloration.

Antioxidants, by definition, fight free radical damage. This makes them essential in post-sun care—or any skin care, really. Really, there's no upper limit to antioxidant protection—so use a variety and use them often! 

Here are a few of our favorite post-sun ingredients to keep an eye out for. Not only do these have potent antioxidant properties, but research shows they can specifically buffer the effects of sun damage. 

The takeaway 

While pre-sun is vital to avoid damage, post-sun care is equally important to avoid signs of premature aging. And it’s relatively easy: Find a high-quality moisturizer made with emollients, humectants, and antioxidants.

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