In my acne-prone 20s and 30s, I hated sunscreen. I mean HATED IT. It was so hard to find one that didn’t block pores or turn me into an oil slick. Being worried about anti-ageing was simply not a priority when faced with sore tender bumps on my chin and jawline. It was yet another layer to try to apply smoothly in the morning when I was in a rush. So it got skipped more often than not. How times have changed!
It was only once I discovered retinoids (which sorted my acne), and by extrapolation started to really focus in on the quality of skincare that I was recommending to my patients, that I began to recognise the truth - that SPF was a non-negotiable when it came to protecting my patients’ skin and my own.
And the kicker of it was, that with the right product, it could be gamechanging.
It could not only prevent ageing, it could help undo the damage already done.
It could actually be a perfect base for make-up, if wisely chosen.
And it could even deliver Actives, helping calm my capricious and unpredictable skin when bumpiness threatened.
So what I’ve learned after all these years of practicing and advising patients on their skincare, is it should actually be the FIRST anti-ageing product you use - and the earlier the better!
