Today we’re going to talk about something that is very important, especially as the years pass by and your facial skin starts to really accumulate wear and tear. Since our faces are always “out there” exposed to the environment, it’s pretty tough to completely protect them from these sometimes- damaging elements.

The next most exposed skin is the neck and chest area, followed by the shoulders and finally the hands. This constant environmental exposure is the exact reason why we see the first signs of photo aging (aka sun damage or UV damage) on these exposed areas.

As healthy as I think sunlight exposure is, there are certain areas of the body where we really must protect due to their near-constant exposure. Even with the impending winter time, it's important to still protect your face every single day from UV exposure, especially considering that it's always exposed front and center.

It’s the perfect example of too much of a good thing. While sunlight causes a chain reaction in our bodies that produces the all-important vitamin D and melatonin, both of which support not only optimal health but also optimal mood, sunlight is in and of itself a skin discoloring and damaging element.

This is especially true for people who are fairer skinned or who have other nutritional deficiencies that make their skin more susceptible to damage. So, let’s talk about protecting that precious asset of yours and preserving its natural beauty and integrity for as long as possible.

The Face

What is the best way to protect your face from too much sun exposure? The answer, in my opinion, is foundation! There are of course also a myriad of sunblock products that are made especially for the more sensitive facial skin. You could definitely select one of those if you so choose.

However, why not kill two birds with one stone, and get coverage that evens out your skin tone AND easily provides you with at least a 15 to 20 sun protection factor (SPF)? Since foundation is created for the facial skin, it is formulated to already be mild enough for delicate facial skin.

Foundation is also typically long-wearing, meaning it will stay on your skin all day long until you wash it off. It also tends to be less irritating to skin than standalone sunscreens. I tried many facial sunscreens until I finally realized that a good foundation with a solid SPF in it was the best bet by far to get every day sun protection.

You can avoid ingredients that you don’t want like mineral oil too, since so many are formulated without this. There are so many tones available now in foundation that there really is a foundation color out there for every single skin tone. Related: Vitamin E Healing : From Sunburn to Skin Trauma

It may take a little bit of experimentation, but when you find that right color, it really does provide an overall more even look to the skin and many of them even contain light refraction particles that give the skin luminosity to boot.

You’ll Never Forget Your Sunscreen

Since foundation is a really popular makeup item, this also means you won’t have days where you’ll go without sun protection on your face. This includes those winter days when you think surely you wouldn’t get enough sun on your face to damage it. But this is not true.

Even on winter days, the sun’s rays will still penetrate your exposed skin, and you would see sun damage as a result. Driving in your car is one such activity that most people don't think about where they are getting consistent sun exposure particularly to their face. Often times you will notice you have more sun damage on the side of your face that’s exposed when driving a car – even tinted windows won’t prevent this from happening. If you get into the habit of using foundation every single morning, and ensure it has a good SPF included, you’ll never have to worry about forgetting.

Don’t Forget Your Neck

One really important part most people forget is to protect not only the face, but also the neck, which is almost always exposed as well. That is, unless you’re wearing a turtleneck.

So when applying the foundation, just be sure to get it right under the chin and the general neck area covered as well. This will also prevent that dreaded mismatched tone from the face to the neck that can happen when foundation is only applied to the face. Related: Oils with Natural Sunscreen Properties

Men Can Wear Foundation Too!

Lest you think this sun protection advice is only meant for the ladies, it’s not. Men can totally wear foundation too!  And hey, no matter what, everyone can use a little skin-evening and brightening magic as they age. This does not preclude men from the equation by any means.

I wouldn’t be surprised if one of the big brands begins to market foundation to men. Perhaps they already have. But believe me, men don’t need any special formula, the stuff that’s out there already is perfectly fine.