CosBeauty Magazine #94

helps to block visible light which
can contribute to pigmentation.
It should be applied daily and
reapplied every two hours, and
used in conjunction with other sunprotective
measures such as wearing
a hat and seeking shade.
With regards to reversing
cumulative sun damage, there
is nothing that will completely
reverse sun damage and that’s why
prevention is critical. The numberone
ingredient I always recommend
is sunscreen.
Antioxidants such as resveratrol
and Vitamin C are also great
scavengers of the free radicals that
damage DNA when skin is exposed
to UV radiation.
Retinol, a derivative of Vitamin
A, also helps to repair damaged
skin cells by encouraging cell
turnover and increasing collagen
production. It is the gold-standard
anti-ageing ingredient which can
help with correcting texture, tone
and pigmentation and help with
fine lines and wrinkles. Vitamin A is
available in various forms, including
over-the-counter retinol products
to prescription-strength retinoids,
which can be more effective but
more irritating. It is best to start with
a retinol which is ultra-stable but less
irritating, starting with a couple of
times a week, then bumping up the
application if your skin isn’t irritated.
Another way of addressing sundamaged
skin is laser and lightbased
therapies. Some of these
technologies can target pigment
and are great at fading sun spots.
Others are great at targeting the
redness and vascular changes that
arise as a result of sun damage. We
can also resurface the texture of the
skin using certain types of lasers,
which can help correct some of the
signs of ageing and sun damage.
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