Can a High SPF Irritate Your Skin? Erm, No
Remember those bad after-school specials about safe sex, starring the lame guy who refused to wear a condom because it didn't "feel good?" He was an idiot.
Similarly foolish: The girl who refuses to practice safe sun because she claims high-powered sunscreen feels uncomfortable on her skin.
The fact is, if you suffer from irritation -- characterized by redness, dryness, itching, scaling, or swelling -- you're wearing the wrong one. It has nothing to do with a high SPF.
"It's very uncommon for sunscreen -- no matter how high the SPF - to irritate the skin," says Heidi Waldorf, an Associate Clinical Professor of Dermatology at Mount Sinai in Manhattan. "Any irritation is most likely caused by the base of the product, not from the active sunscreen ingredients."
It's difficult to pinpoint exactly which base ingredients (or combination of base ingredients) might bother your skin, so Waldorf suggests giving yourself a patch test to see if a sunscreen agrees with you. Apply it on your upper inner arm for three days in a row. If you have a negative reaction, try another product. If not, you're cool.
If you have had problems with sunscreen in the past, Waldorf suggests using a fragrance-free sunscreen labeled for children or those with sensitive skin.
"They usually have physical (not chemical) sunscreen ingredients, and there are few ingredients in the base that may cause irritation."
Still, for those who've had negative experiences with a strong sunscreen before, I urge you to keep two things in mind as you dip your toes back into the waters of SPF 30 and beyond.
One: Though you may be tempted to skip the strong sunscreen by simply wearing makeup infused with SPF, please don't.
"Think of makeup as extra protection, not primary protection," says Waldorf.
And two: While it's perfectly safe to layer SPF-enriched products over one another (it won't cause irritation), it's silly to think that you can layer your makeup with SPF 15 over your moisturizer with SPF 15 for a grand total of SPF 30. Though it sounds clever, it doesn't actually work like that. Sorry.
Leslie 5-09-2009 @ 5:45PM
First of all A good sunscreen witha high SPF won't irritate your skin. Working as an esthetician I always get people asking what they can do about their wrinkles. I tell them about Revotol's 3 step anti-aging/anti-wrinkle system http://www.UltimateAnti-Aging.info/ and how it contains anti-aging antioxidants for a smoother, younger face. They always come back to tell me how great it is and how much younger they look. It’s a great product and I back it up 100%.
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Joannaberens 5-09-2009 @ 6:06PM
There are tricks that the super models use that keep them looking wrinkle free for their close-ups. As a former model I'll share a couple of their insider secrets with you. For long term smooth, healthy looking skin it's Caracol Cream http://cli.gs/AgeDefyingCaracol If you go to that web site and read about the ingredients in Caracol Cream you'll see why it is in a class by itself when it comes to reducing the appearance of wrinkles and giving the skin an amazingly healthy appearance.
They also use BeautyLift. http://trulyflawlessskin.com/ It is the most potent doctor grade wrinkle erasing system.
For cellulite problems they use BodySolution http://cli.gs/BestCelluliteSolution a cellulite toning system that is clinically proven to smooth cellulite and firm in as little as 72 hours.
Don't think that it's just genetics when you see their amazing skin. These insider products are responsible for much of what you see.
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sallymom 5-14-2009 @ 7:30PM
Please...don't smother potentially harmful chemical sunscreens on your family's skin, instead use this very effective chemical-free sunscreen made only with all natural ingredients...it's healthy for the skin and provides high UVA and UVB protection. Without a doubt the best sunscreen in the world is MexiTan http://cli.gs/MexiTan .We just got back from a week on the Mexican Riviera and we used Mexitan SPF sunscreen the whole time. We didn't get a sunburn or rash at all and felt great about using a product that's chemical-free and that won't harm the delicate ecosystem. It's 100% All Natural, No Harsh Chemicals, with GREEN TEA. Biodegradable Sunscreen!
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