"There's no sun! Why do you still need to use an umbrella?"

I get that question a lot. My reply is always a calm, "What I'm afraid of are UV rays," or "UV rays are ever present."

Just two to three years ago, I was one of those people who know that I should be wearing sunscreen daily but just am too lazy and too cheap to. This was even when I was a beauty writer - when it came to sun protection, I wasn't exactly tanning but I wasn't practising what I preached either.

One roundabout later. I now wear sunscreen daily and I carry an UV-protective umbrella everywhere I go. I open it almost everytime I step into the open, even if it's just to cross a small road. The only exceptions are when the sky is heavily overcast and even then, I know I should, because UV rays penetrate clouds. But I am a lazy person and there are times when laziness wins over common sense. However, I do still use sunscreen, rain or shine, so I guess there's redemption there.

My biggest loophole is body sunscreen. I skip it when I am running late, which is too often. This is something I need to work on. When it comes to sunblock for the face, however, the thought of not applying it gives me the shudders now. I can literally envision the UV rays cutting into my skin and destroying it.

Yes, the word is destroy.

Actually, lots of people don't take me seriously. They think it's funny I don't like to go into the sun, that I have my frilly, polka-dotted umbrella with me all the time, that I use it even when it looks like it's going to rain. It is not a given, I'll admit, but it is very likely that if you're that smart-ass woman walking past me and then looking up into the sky asking mock-quizzically, "Is it raining?" you're also the one whose skin is going to collapse first, if it hasn't already.

The first signs of sun damage, or ageing, is considerably mild. Skin loses that bit of tone and looks that little bit more dehydrated, pores look that wee bit bigger and just the finest of lines. You can go for a while thinking your skin is doing very well and then suddenly, it hits you like a train wreck and your life in front of the mirror will never be the same again.

Okay, maybe I sound a little menacing but this is nothing but the truth. I'm not touting skincare or sunscreen so I have nothing to lose or win. The truth is, I don't really like to force people to adhere to my sometimes strange ways and while I sometimes give shit to my friends about what they should or should not do (baby girl gets the most shit from me, I think), at the end of the day, I won't say it again if you don't feel compelled to help yourself. I'll explain what I can if you ask, but it's really up to the individual.

In the May issue of Allure, there is a feature on the sun, skin and skin cancer. When I saw the images below, I think my brain froze for a moment. I don't know about you but the thought of something as innocent as stepping into the sun causing such turmoil under the skin scares the shit out of me.

According to the sidebar where these images appeared, sunburn and wrinkles are the obvious effects of UV exposure but there are also insidious and invisible damages such as DNA damage.

Structural changes occur in many skin cells' DNA in less than one second of contact with UV light. The cells are able to fix most of these defective segments but some become permanent mutations... In a study, properly applied broad-spectrum SPF 15 sunscreen reduced this damage to undetectable levels in 99 percent of UV-exposed cells.

And do note that sunburn is actually an inflammatory response caused when skin is over-exposed. It means the damage has set off a wound-healing response. People who tan think of it as a prelude to bronzed skin, but there's really nothing goddess-like or romantic when you think about "sun-kissed" skin - you're just a giant walking wound.

Of course, not everybody has the same priorities I do, there are people who like their time in the sun. Personally I don't but there's nothing wrong with enjoying your sporting activities or simply, walking in the sun, if you take adequate care with sun protection.

Sun-tanning or tanning salons, however, are another form of stupidity altogether.

I started this hiding from the sun because I wanted to try to be milky white. That is an uphill battle I've more or less given up on, because it requires more resources than I'm prepared to give. Now, it's still a vanity project, but it's about ageing as best as I can.

My skin suffers because of my laziness. I've seen what it can look like when I spend more time nourishing it but I've never been able to force myself to go back to my fanatical ways. So I suppose my fight against UV-penetration is my way of slowing down the ravages of time.

I'm still refining my sun protection techniques but one thing is for sure, we use less sunblock than we ought to. The correct amount to use is never quantified noticeably, if at all, on packaging but SPF is actually based on a uniform application thickness of 2 mg/cm² and yet most people never use more than 60% of what is correct. When you don't use enough product, you are slashing your SPF by much more than half.

#1
What the hell is 2 mg/cm2 though? I read an article in W years ago and if I remember correctly, it explained that it's an amount that will leave your face pasty white.

#2
Which is why then it becomes pertinent to find a lightweight, non-oily formula. I've been using Boots No. 7 Whitening sunscreen for a while now. The black blob indicates the size of a dollop I use on one side of my face. So on a daily basis, I use three blobs - face, face, neck. And I'm beginning to wonder if it's enough. Which is why on some mornings now, I do one face-face-neck rotation and then go back to the first section again to apply just a little more.

The good thing about this No. 7 product is that it absorbs really quickly and doesn't feel greasy, which is why I can afford to use so much at a go. But I'm considering a change, because I suspect the whitening actives in it are too strong for me if I'm using it so liberally.

#3
If your sunscreen is of a consistency that is more difficult to absorb, I learned a new method the other day, though I've yet to try it. Slather on a layer over your face and just leave it. Go ahead and do other stuff and then come back to it after 5 - 10 minutes to massage it all in. By then, some of the product would have been absorbed and it would be easier to work it all in.

#4
Don't neglect your neck, back of neck, ears and back of ears. I'm guilty of those myself so here's a reminder to myself as well. Also, back of hands, in between fingers, ankles and feet including toes.

#5
Sunscreen needs to be applied half an hour before you step out. Otherwise, for the first 30 minutes outside, you're unprotected.

#6
The correct amount of sunscreen for the body? I usually only do arms as the rest of me would be covered. You need to squeeze out a line as thick as this black stroke along about two-thirds of the exposed arm length and then work it all in.

#7
SPF 15 is the minimum. But that's if you use enough of it. Moisturisers, foundations or makeup bases that contain SPF should be add-ons to your sunscreen, not your sole source of protection. Because the amounts used of such products are dictated by other needs. Especially in the case of foundations and bases - nobody in the right mind is going to slater on enough foundation to offer full SPF 15 protection.

#8
Physical protection. Clothing and umbrellas, especially of the UV-protective variety, are your best bets. This is beyond what many people are willing to do, so it's subjective, really.

If you care though, colour and material also play a part. Dark coloured and tightly structured fabrics protect against UV best. This means black, navy, dark green, red, etc and closely woven materials. I know you're thinking it's rubbish because black is more heat-absorbent. I still don't quite understand but I'm sure there's a very good physics explanation for it. And I've googled enough to decide it's true. Dark colours are more protective against UV, as seen here and here.

Which means, if you're combating our recent heat wave in billowy, white, light cotton tops, you might want to slather on the sunblock.

#9
Your chest. If you dress with low necklines, you need to slap on sunscreen there too. Imagine damaged collagen and skin structure collapse there - we're talking saggy boobs now.

#10
Sunscreen might not just be a day or outdoor thing. Even lamps emit UV. Fluorescent and tungsten-halogen incandescent lamps, for instance.

#11
It's unhealthy to avoid the sun completely. Of course. But since Singapore is positioned so conveniently in the equatorial belt, Vitamin D-deficiency is hardly a problem. No matter how much you hide, you'll get enough sun from inevitable exposure. Waiting for the train on the platfom, standing by the window on the bus, walking out for lunch, etc. You don't need to feel the heat on your back to know you're getting sun, there's plenty of reflection off the ground and incidental exposure all over the place. Unless you are indoors 24-7, you do not need more sun.

#12
Lastly, sunscreen needs to be removed with something specialised, not just facial cleanser. I was resistant to this for a long time. It bothers me because I don't really wear makeup and yet, I need to use makeup remover to take off something I can't even see. Now, it's just routine. Call it paranoia but my skin feels different when I don't do this step now - like there's an additional slick.

I recently sat through a product training to familiarise myself with a client's products and one of the things we were told about was cosmetic acne - a field of tiny bumps that look a little like giant whiteheads. Happens to people who should have used makeup remover but didn't, and appears after six to nine months of abuse. Imagine, the powder you put on a year ago will still be on your face, just, under the skin instead of on it.

Honestly, I'm not happy at all with the condition of my skin lately. I've been really lazy with my exfoliation and skincare regime and it shows. It's definitely time to start caring again, beginning with a redefined suncare routine.