Waxing effusive about an everyday sunscreen

in

A protective daily cream that’s a no-nonsense luxury

Meet a dermatologist who doesn’t advise wearing sunscreen and I suggest you call up their alma mater to check their credentials. It is the one thing that truly unites these experts – their belief that too few of us wear it daily, and those who do, don’t wear enough.

But why do people not do the one thing that will guard them from wrinkles and age spots  – the clue is in the word – and protect the skin against broken veins, plus of course, skin cancer? To answer most simply: because it’s a hassle. Who needs to add another layer of skincare on top of moisturiser, eye-cream and foundation – and if that makes me sound somewhat high-maintenance, so be it – when most can leave a slimy film or a white layer that knocks out any rosy glow, not to mention fake tan?

Now this is the point in the story when I share my skincare secret, and I dare not disappoint. For La Roche-Posay Anthelios Fluide Extreme 50+ (£14.50) is a product that I have been buying for several years now, because it delivers all I want: effective coverage that dries very quickly leaving no ghostly glow. But I have only just come across the same product with what they call a tint, and what I call a light foundation that I wear either alone over skincare or under foundation: La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL SPF50+ Extreme Tinted Fluid (£15.50).

Now you could argue that in overcast London you might not need to wear an SPF, but with the ozone layer thinning at a rapid rate, the sun’s rays penetrate the skin more deeply, even through cloud, so you still need to wear one. And for those who ski, it should be reapplied after lunch – and that includes gentlemen. Start this habit in Méribel and continue it in Mayfair. It’s not vain, it’s vital.

The irony, of course, is that by applying sunscreen daily, expensive anti-ageing creams – and many do work – would not be as necessary as they often become. For, to use the words of my retired and much-missed Scottish GP, “Prevention is surely better than cure”.