In this article, Célia Vepori Lucciardi, facialist and founder of the A Perla Rara Institute reveals how to enjoy the sun safely!
Tanning was made fashionable in 1920 by Coco Chanel. But at that time, we could not know the consequences of repeated exposure to this warm friend, because we then wore parasols and wide-brimmed hats to preserve the milky complexion of the heroines of novels.
Today, only the Western world advocates a tanned and matte complexion . In much of the rest of the world, it's the opposite: a fair complexion is a sign of beauty, purity and social success.
The sun's rays are made up of several categories: infrared, visible light, ultraviolet, X-rays and gamma rays. Today we are going to develop the axis of ultraviolet rays which are the most harmful rays on the list. They are classified into three types: UVC, UVB and UVA. Here are some details.
UVC is the most dangerous ultraviolet radiation. Used as germicides in hospitals, they attack biological molecules by touching DNA, which gives them a very significant carcinogenic potential. Fortunately, the ozone layer prevents almost all of their passage by filtering them.
UVB rays are the main culprits of “sunburn”. They induce cell degeneration that leads to melanoma, skin cancer. Indeed, they generate molecular disorders which, by dint of being repeated, saturate the DNA repair system and lead to “errors” in the genome of the affected cells.
UVA rays cause premature aging called actinic (ie due to the sun) as well as the acceleration of the development of pigment spots. Although UVB is the main cause of skin cancer, UVA can also contribute. They are at the origin of the production of free radicals. These molecules initiate chain reactions that alter DNA, proteins and lipids and generate cancerous cells. Be careful, these UV rays pass through the glazing.
WHAT IS TANNING?
Melanocytes are found in our cells and constantly produce melanin, which are biological pigments that will characterize our skin, hair and eye color. The sun will stimulate this process by producing even more melanin which will be released in the cells of the skin, which will color it giving the tan.
UVA will initially cause "immediate pigmentation" which gives a quick but ephemeral tan. A few days later, a so-called delayed pigmentation will appear, that of tanning. The latter is at its maximum after 20 days.
During this time the skin thickens. It is a natural reaction to protect us from the sun. However be careful, this thickening does not provide sufficient protection.
AND THE SUNBURN?
In the event of too much exposure, UVA and UVB rays will damage our skin and create solar erythema, more commonly known as “sunburn”. This reaches its maximum intensity after approximately 24 hours. It is not a real burn but an inflammatory reaction of the cells. Indeed, UVB rays destroy our cells, which results in redness. Then the cells are detached and peeled.
Peeling is very risky because these cells have a high potential for cancerous transformation.
Each time the skin is exposed to UV rays and tans or burns, each of its cells is altered, as well as the DNA. Although skin can repair superficial injuries like sunburn, damage to skin cells and DNA remains.
ACTINIC AGING.
Aging due to the sun is an aging that differs from chronological aging. The first difference is that it induces premature aging.
Moreover, aging due to the sun is completely destructured: wrinkles appear in a totally anarchic way where chronological aging would first intensify expression lines and then those due to sagging skin. The wrinkles are deeper and much more numerous, the skin quickly loses its elasticity. Pigment spots also appear.
SUN AND VITAMIN D.
The sun is also an ally. It allows, among other things, the synthesis of vitamin D which is often faulty, even in favorable latitudes. Vitamin D is actually a hormone, not a vitamin.
It plays a decisive role in many metabolic reactions, in particular in autoimmune diseases. Also, the latest studies tend to show that vitamin D supplementation in doses higher than those usually recommended would have beneficial effects on diseases such as vitiligo, psoriasis, multiple sclerosis, covid and many others. . Although the current recommended dose is 600 to 800 iu per day, it will eventually be increased.
Today, the new recommendations are closer to the results obtained after 20 minutes of daily exposure, bare arms and legs and without a sun protection filter, which would correspond to 10,000 iu. Please note that any increase in dosage cannot be made without the advice of a doctor.
OUR SOLUTIONS.
Winter: protect your skin with a minimum protection factor of 25-30 that you will renew during the day. Take care when traveling in town/car and protect yourself behind glass. On rainy or gray days, remember that the sun's rays pass through the clouds, which only filter out 50% of the ultraviolet rays. So beware of seemingly sunless foggy weather.
In the spring, prepare your skin for the sun by exfoliating it to regenerate it and create a healthy base. Increase the protection factor of your sunscreen to respond to new sunny days. Hydrate your skin to the maximum in order to allow it a perfect health and force yourself to drink. Prepare your skin for the sun by using D-LAB's Active Sun Complex which allows you to tan the complexion without sun, while preparing the skin for tanning. Rich in antioxidants and anti-free radicals, this cure will sublimate your skin while providing it with all the elements necessary to increase its resistance and thus better protect it.
During the summer, an index 50 will be strongly recommended with broad spectrum UVA protection. Be sure to renew your cream every two hours at most and always favor 100% natural filters for you and our environment. Even with sunscreen, avoid basking in the sun and wear a wide-brimmed hat on your various trips. The Eclat-Total Duo combines the Sun Complex and the Soothed Skin Complex to intensify the tan and provide the skin with total protection against the harmful effects of the sun. We find in particular in the Soothed Skin Complex a microencapsulated melon extract titrated in SOD. SOD plays an essential role in the prevention of oxidative stress and also offers very high protection against UV damage, which makes it an ally of choice in the summer. You will then offer your skin better resistance to ultraviolet rays and sunburn while reducing inflammation due to UV rays.
In the fall, it's time for the buds to burst. Indeed, to protect itself from UV, the skin defends itself against the aggression of the sun by thickening. This surplus creates an obstruction of the orifice of the sebaceous glands and gives rise to microcysts and other inflamed comedones. When it is no longer exposed to the sun, the skin will then become thinner again to return to its original shape. This is when things go wrong, revealing the accumulation. Gentle exfoliation will be required and the Skin-Perfect Program will allow a complete reset of your skin through its detoxification and regeneration.
TOTAL RADIANCE DUO
Golden and UV-protected skin
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ACTIVE SUN COMPLEX
Perfect tan
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MELANIN ABSOLUTE
Naturally pigments skin and hair
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