5 Easy Steps for Beautiful Skin this Summer

Episode #9 / May 28, 2010
OTHER VERSIONS:
Summer is here and its time to shed your winter skin woes. Everyone knows there is no better way to do that than spending time outdoors. But before you head to the beach or hit the hiking trail, there are some steps you can take to start making your skin beautiful. From quick-and-easy facial rejuvenation and anti-aging to sun protection, laser hair removal, and getting ahead of the game with self-tanners, Dr. Schultz will tell you how.
Jane on June 8, 2009 at 8:54am

This site is great. The explanations are simple and goes direct to the point.
I just have one question. Why should I apply the sunscreen before the moisturizer and not after as many doctors prescribe? Is this valid for a sebo-regulator (oil control) moisturizer?
I'm sending the link of this site to all my friends and the ones that have seen it are loving.

Dr. Schultz on June 15, 2009 at 7:27pm

@Jane: Thank you for the kind words. And I'm glad you asked that question - it's such an important one.

I agree that putting on sunscreen first is "counter-intuitive" since one might think it should be "closer to the sun" and therefore applied last. But it's just the opposite.

For sunscreen to work, it needs to either absorb or reflect the damaging sun rays. Absorber sunscreens need to be in direct contact with the skin for about 1/2 hour to chemically react with the skin. That's why instructions include "apply 1/2 hour before sun exposure." Anything put on the skin before (under) that sunscreen can interfere with the necessary contact between the skin and the sunscreen.

With physical blocker sunscreens (e.g., Zinc and Titanium), while in theory they should block (reflect) the sun regardless of where in the layering of your products they are, the only way to get an even and complete layer is to put it on first, otherwise other previously applied products could interfere with the even and complete application of the sunscreen.

And this is valid for a sebo-regulator (oil control) moisturizer as well.

Is on July 3, 2009 at 1:56pm

Would you recommend the same routine to a 20 year old with acneic skin dullness and unevenness?

Neal Schultz, M.D. on July 20, 2009 at 4:07pm

@Is: Yes, exactly the same.

Rusty on October 7, 2009 at 7:20am

I'm a little about anti oxident. It is an ingredient or is it something like a toner? Thanks! :D

Neal Schultz, M.D. on October 7, 2009 at 4:10pm

@Rusty: Antioxidants are active ingredients. For more information on them, please see episode #49, How Antioxidants Protect Your Skin.