Going Beyond Sunscreen to Get Rid of Wrinkles

Sunscreen is essential to protect skin from sun damage. Playing in the park, hiking a favorite trail, gardening, jogging, and water sports are all fun outdoor activities that expose our skin to the sun. When we think of needing skin protection, we often think of these activities. But that is only half the picture.

90% of skin aging is caused by the sun. Most of that sun damage occurs from non-deliberate, cumulative sun exposure from activities like driving and running errands. This sun exposure is evident all over our face in the form of wrinkles and dark spots. To get rid of wrinkles, we have to go beyond sunscreen to help repair the damage.

I'm partnering with Goddess Garden as one of their ambassadors this year to share the importance of natural skin care. The products we use are just as important as the food we eat. This year I'm learning more about what's in the products I use and how I can improve my health through naturally sourced products. All opinions are my own. 

Why You Need Sunscreen Year Around

Sunscreen is one way to protect your skin from premature aging and sun damage. It prevents future damage and sunburn due to overexposure. I’ve been a fan of Goddess Garden’s natural sunscreens for a few years and our family uses is regularly.

Even though we use sunscreen regularly, I’m finding out now, at the age of 41, that I haven’t been doing everything I could to protect my skin. That is as apparent as the lines on my face, aka wrinkles.

What I thought were normal signs of aging could actually be caused by the sun. One of the biggest myths I believed is that I didn’t need sunscreen during the winter months when I was outdoors. I thought because UVB rays, those that cause sunburn, were reduced in the winter, that my risk of skin damage was less too. Unfortunately, that was wrong. Yes, UVB rays are stronger during the summer months and between the hours of 12 to 2pm than in the winter. However, UVA rays are constant year around, all day long and are actually stronger during the winter in the Northern Hemisphere. As a result, I have been exposing my skin to UVA, those rays that cause skin damage, for years/decades.

UVA rays can lead to wrinkles and dark spots, resulting in premature skin aging. This article, “The Sun Can Age Your Skin!” talks about how sun damage adds up gradually over time and is responsible for 90% of the  visible signs of skin aging. A study led by Philippe Humbert, MD, head of the Department of Dermatology at the University Hospital of Besançon, showed chronic exposure to UVA radiation accelerated the aging of skin five to seven years.

Luckily, It’s not too late to start protecting my skin. A series of studies cited by the Skin Cancer Foundation shows it’s never too late to protect your skin. After age 40, skin gets thinner, so the rays penetrate deeper and show damage easier. It also takes longer to heal, which means sunscreen is more important than ever! So moving forward, I plan to wear sunscreen daily to protect my skin from future damage.

Going Beyond Sunscreen to Repair Skin Damage

Goddess Garden’s sunscreens do a fantastic job protecting against both UVB and UVA rays. But no sunscreen can repair past damage. That’s why Goddess Garden developed a new sun repair line that addresses past damage and provides products free of harsh chemicals.

They sent me their new Face the Day Sunscreen & Firming Primer and Under the Sun Pre-Sunscreen Serum to try out for 90 days as part of my skin care regime.

Just like with food, nature has a way of healing the body naturally. Unlike anti-aging products of the past that use retinol, Face the Day Sunscreen & Firming Primer and Under the Sun Pre-Sunscreen Serum  provide strong anti-oxidants, vitamins, and minerals to heal the damage and heal the skin from within. When used together daily for 90 days, they reduce the appearance of wrinkles by 23%!

Before these products, I was resigned to age gracefully. Surgery was never an option and the possible side effects of retinol wasn’t something I was interested in experiencing. After 3 weeks, I am beginning to see a change in my skin. Wrinkles aren’t quite as deep and my skin texture looks better. These results aren’t scientific, but I can see a difference that encourages me to keep using the products. I shared a picture of me earlier before I started using these. I will plan to come back and show an updated photo so you can see how my skin has changed since I started.

Read more about Goddess Garden’s Sun Repair System in this article “Why Did We Create a “Sun Repair System?”