The 3 layers of your skin

The 3 layers of your skin

Most people don’t think of skin as an organ of the body, but in fact it’s the biggest and one of the most important. Applying facial sunblock will help your skin stay healthy and help it to do its job.

Your skin helps to keep the germs from reaching your internals, gives us a sense of touch, and helps the body maintain its temperature. The skin is composed of 3 layers, the epidermis, dermis, and subcutaneous.

The epidermis is the outer layer. Cells in this layer are constantly changing. The newer cells push their way up moving the older skin cells to the surface where they die and flake off. This is the layer that gets exposed to the sun and applying a good facial sunblock will help protect these new skin cells.

Melanin is found in this layer and it’s what gives you your skin color. The more sun exposure you get, the more melanin is produced and hence the darker your skin gets. A good facial sunblock will slow down the production of melanin resulting in a lighter skin color.

The second layer is called dermis. It contains your sweat glands, blood vessels, nerve endings, and oil glands. This layer communicates to your brain what you are feeling. For example, if something you touched is hot, your skin will communicate to the brain, and your brain will tell the muscles to quickly pull away to avoid getting burning.

The third layer, subcutaneous, is mostly made up of fatty tissue helping the body to absorb shock. So, if you were to fall, the impact would be absorbed by the fat in this layer. The roots of your hair start in this layer. Hair eventually makes its way up going through all the layers and finally reaching the surface.

This is just a brief description of your skin and its functions. It is a very complex organ having many responsibilities. Facial sunblock should be used to help protect it. And even if you’re not directly in the sun, you should still use some for m of facial sunblock.

Tanning Booths & Tanning Beds

Most of us the use the more traditional way of getting tan by being out in the sun for hours, and using lots of suntan lotion. There might come a time when you want a tan but just don’t have the time during the day so you decide to sign up at a tanning salon.

At the tanning salon you’ll be faced with a choice to make. Do you want to use a tanning booth? Or a tanning bed?

Well, here’s some information that will help you decide.

Tanning booths are made for you to stand in. They typically use stronger lamps, around 160 watt, which helps you to tan more quickly. They are less comfortable since you have to stand, but provide a more even tan since you can move around in them. And since they use stronger lamps, A typical tanning session will last about 10 minutes.

Tanning beds, as the name implies, are much more comfortable because you are lying down when tanning. They use lower power bulbs, 100 watts average, so your tanning sessions are usually longer than tanning booths. Because of this, A typical tanning session can last up to 15 minutes.

You should know that the FDA has strict regulations on exposure times and are constantly trying to lower them because of the risks involved. This is an industry that is quite regulated and new laws are constantly being changed and added.

So, what are the risks?

Artificial tanning appliances are just as dangerous as natural sunlight, and in some cases are more dangerous.

The UVA rays in tanning salons are 2-3 times more powerful than the UVA rays from the sun.

And long term exposure can lead to premature skin aging, wrinkles, dark spots and worst case, skin cancer.

This article is not meant for you to avoid tanning salons, but rather point out the differences between tanning booths and beds, as well as the risks involved. As with anything seek advice from a professional if you have any questions.

My Families Facial Sunblock Arsenal

With all this talk about facial sunblock here, I thought I would tell my story on how my family gets prepare for a day at the lake.

I have 3 young children. A 6 year old son, 4 year old daughter, and 14 month old son. Each of them have different skin types, with my daughter having the most sensitive skin. It’s no wonder we use about 5 different lotions depending on what body part we are applying it to.

We use the Vanicream facial sunblock on my daughter since her face is very sensitive. My youngest also gets this although his skin is not that sensitive, and my oldest will usually get the same lotion as the rest of his body.

After we apply the lotion, they usually run around a bit so their skin absorbs the lotion. Don’t forget to use a liberal amount of facial sunblock when you apply, and about a shot glass full of addition lotion for the rest of their bodies. Adults should usually use about 2 shot glasses full of lotion on their bodies.

Once we’re at the lake, we usually re-apply after 2-3 hours using a spray type of lotion along with more facial sunblock.

So here’s part of the arsenal. The Vanicream facial sunblock, which again has worked great on my daughter’s sensitive face.



The Coppertone spray which we use to apply as a second coat. And we use it mainly because it very quick and easy to apply.



Towards the end of the season we started to use the Neutrogena on my daughter’s face. I’m not sure why, but her face got less sensitive so we were able to use this lotion.



Also, you’ll notice that my wife wrote the date on the front of the Vanicream facial sunblock. That’s because you should buy new sunblock and sunscreen lotions ever two years. The heat from the sun breaks down the chemical composition of the lotions and makes them less effective.

In the next picture, I just wanted to show you the active ingredients on the back of the Neutrogena lotion, titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. If your lotion has these ingredients it’s usually sunblock not sunscreen.


The extent is from this site, http://dermatology.about.com/od/glossarys/g/sunblock.htm

“Definition: Sunblock is different than sunscreen. A sunblock physically blocks the sun's UV radiation of the skin, both UVA and UVB. Examples of sunblocks are clothing, umbrellas, and trees. Chemical sunblocks scatter, reflect, and physically block UV radiation. The most well-known chemical sunblock is zinc oxide. Other commonly used sunblocks are talc, titanium dioxide, and red vetenary petrolatum”

Naturally Skinsational

Applying a facial sunblock is the first step towards protecting your skin and that youthful look. But what about everyday skincare? Something you can do every day to help keep and help preserve, even turn back the time…

Sue Dolan’s ebook, Naturally Skinsational is the perfect way to start. Everyone now a day’s need to save money and this ebook will show you how you can make skin care recipes yourself.

The best part about it is that you’ll know what’s in the ingredients because you made it.

It’s a do it yourself skincare recipes you can put together yourself.

See the video and a review of Naturally Skinsational

Tanning while pregnant, is it Safe?

There’s a number of ways to get tan…natural sun, tanning beds, home spray on kits, spray booths, professional spray-on tans, etc. But the big question still is, “Is tanning safe while you’re pregnant?”

The problem with that question is that there are very few if any studies about the safety of tanning while pregnant. Many experts will agree that your body temperature while pregnant is an important factor and being out in the sun or in a tanning bed can increase your likelihood of overheating. So, they advise drinking plenty of fluids in order to avoid dehydration. Also, because of hormone changes, your skin is more prone to sunburn due to increased sensitivity, so you should use plenty of sunblock.

The alternative? Spray on tans, but are they safe? There’s just as much research stating that it’s safe as unsafe. Some of the unsafe issues are the chemicals involved, and that fact that you’re breathing them in. Other research points out not to use any home spray on tan during your first trimesters since the vital organs of the fetus are newly forming.

You’re just as likely to find research stating that tanning while pregnant is safe, both natural and artificial tanning. Saying you can safely tan naturally but limit your exposure time, or that the water based spray on tan kits are completely safe to use.

My opinion? See your OBGYN first before you do anything and have your notepad with questions ready. And personally, why even bother with the risk in the first place. There’s not enough evidence to support that tanning while pregnant is safe. On the other hand you’re probably saying to yourself that there’s no evidence saying that it’s unsafe. But again why take the risk?

Facial Sunblock

Today I’m going to talk about the SPF rating in Facial Sunblock.

So what is SPF? Well, it stands for Sun Protection Factor. SPF has a numeric value and can go as high as 50+. So for example, facial sunblock SPF 30, or SPF 45. Also, the higher the number, the stronger the protection. It’s used in conjunction with measuring the time it takes for a person to burn when exposed to the sun, from UVB radiation.

The formula goes like this:

Take me for example. On a hot summer day I might start to burn after 15 minutes of being in the sun. If I use a facial sunblock that has an SPF rating of 30, I can theoretically be in the sun for 7.5 hrs. before I start to burn.

SPF rating X 15 (the amount of minutes it takes for you to burn) = 450 minutes or 7.5 hrs.

Another way of looking at this would be as follows. Using a facial sunblock with an SPF rating of 50 means that you would not start to burn until you have been exposed to 50 times the amount it would normally take to burn.

Now, getting back to the 7.5 hrs in my previous example. That is a long time to be in the sun without burning. So let’s talk about different variables.

The SPF rating in facial sunblock and any other sunblock is done in an indoor lab. It does not take into account, heat, wind, shade from passing clouds, or the time of day. And speaking about the time of day, the sun’s rays are the strongest from 10:00 A.M to 4:00 P.M.

Another factor is skin type. Light skinned people will burn sooner than dark skinned people. The amount of facial sunblock that you apply is also a factor, as well as the amount absorbed by the skin.

And what about the activities we do? Swimming? Drying yourself off with a towel. Sweating? The list goes on.

You’re probably saying to yourself, “What good is that formula then?”

I look at it this way. Use a facial sunblock that has a high SPF rating and take into account your skin type and how easy you burn. Read the directions and apply liberally ½ hour before going outside. Re-apply every 2 hours and take into account any type of activities your doing.

Well, for now that’s enough on facial sunblock. Tune in again…

Intro to Facial Sunblock

How many of us use facial sunblock? Most of us who are fair skinned would probably admit to using globs of this stuff in the summer time.
The reality is that we should all use a facial sunblock everyday. Why? So that our skin can look healthy, stay younger, and ultimately help us to reduce our risk of skin cancer.
Damage to your skin can happen in as little as 15 minutes when you’re out in the sun. And you don’t necessarily have to be in direct sunlight for damage to occur.
Out of all our body parts, our face is the most often exposed to the sun. And this is why it should get the most attention.

So what is sun block? It’s a lotion that blocks UVA and UVB radiation. It can do this because it contains chemicals that physically block the sun’s rays. Two of the most common chemicals in sun block are zinc oxide and titanium oxide. The next time you go shopping for facial sunblock read the active ingredients. If it lists zinc oxide and titanium oxide, it’s definitely sun block.
Facial sunblock can come in a variety of forms. I would say that the lotions are the most popular. I personally use the lotions as my first layer. My second layer is usually a spray type of lotion that’s water and sweat proof. Be careful when using these spray lotions since they contain ingredients that can sting if you get it in your eyes. Spray some on your hands first and then gently rub it on your face to avoid getting it in your eyes.
Facial sunblock also comes in stick form. Similar to deodorant containers in function, they have a dial on the bottom that you turn to get the desired amount. If you have children that can’t sit still, this is the type of facial sunblock to get.
Speaking of children, you’ll want to get advice from your dermatologist on the brand/type of facial sunblock to use on your child. I know when my daughter was young her face was very sensitive. The first time we applied lotion to her face she had an allergic reaction and her face swelled up. Luckily it wasn’t serious, and after getting Benadryl in the ER she felt better. It took us awhile, but after trying several brands of facial sunblock, we ended up buying Vanicream SPF 35, which is chemical free and doesn’t contain any type of fragrance. As a result of this, we now test most of our lotions before applying large amounts on our children.
So now that you’ve read my short article, I hope you found it informative. As I continue with this blog I hope to add more and more information on facial sunblock, stay tuned. T5SH5322CQ8J