Your daily skincare routine normally finishes with a thick coating of sunscreen – a roughly 50 cent-sized dollop that you slather all over your face and neck. After all, we’ve probably gone off long enough about how UV radiation causes premature ageing – lines, spots and skin dullness.
Yet, we tend to forget – sometimes knowingly, even – many other parts of our bodies that require sun protection, too.
Here are four to start taking note of:
#1 HAIR
Ever spent an entire day relaxing at the beach or by the pool, only to find that your hair is all dry and dull-looking after? Well it’s not just the saltwater and chlorine causing this but sun exposure, too. UV rays can cause hair colour – yes, your natural hair colour and dye – to fade, leave your hair frizzy and thinned out.
A hair treatment cream or lotion is probably the easiest sun protection item to incorporate into your routine – it helps to nourish your hair while protecting it from heat, UV rays and other aggressors. Try these ones from Alterna and Aveda.
If you want a slightly more convenient option, then DrGL’s Sun Protection Mist SPF29 PA++ is great. It works on the face, hair and body.
#2 EYES
There are many causes for dark eye circles, and you guessed it, UV exposure is one of them. So it’s always important to protect the skin under your eyes with a proper sunscreen. And if you’re not sure whether your regular sunscreen can be used on the undereye area, some beauty brands offer sun protection products especially for it, like Shiseido’s Sun Protection Eye Cream SPF25 PA+++ and Kiehl’s Clearly Corrective Dark Circle Perfector SPF30. I like to layer it over a lightweight gel eye cream or serum.
Of course, your eyes themselves need some sun protection, too. UV radiation can cause short and long term damage to them, such as sunburn of the eyes – called photokeratitis – and cataracts. So don’t forget a good pair of sunnies – there are plenty we’d love to buy now – or contact lenses that have filters, like these ones from Seed x Heroine Make.
#3 HANDS
This is a no-brainer – your hands need just as much sun protection as your face and body to prevent pigmentation spots, wrinkling and dryness as you age. The only problem? Most of us don’t see the point of applying them over and over, since you’re going to wash your hands pretty often. Plus, hand creams tend to leave an oily film on our phones, keyboards and mouse, which can be pretty gross to touch after.
Here’s what to do: Get a multi-purpose sunscreen spray instead, like Biore’s UV Perfect Spray. They sink in easily and don’t leave an oily film. If you’d like a more traditional hand cream, then Biotherm’s Age-Delaying Hand and Nail Treatment, has UV filters. The product strengthens your nails, too.
If not, what I like to do is to use sunscreens that have not been able to work for me on my face on my hands instead. That way, you don’t have to worry about spending money on a product that didn’t work for your skin and wastefully tossing it out just after one use.
#4 LIPS
Your lips are more prone to sunburn compared to your skin, as they lack melanin (the stuff that helps protect your skin from the sun). So if you want to protect your lips from forming lines, use a lip balm with an SPF and apply it often! We love these natural finish ones from Belif and Fresh.
Want more sun protection tips? Check out these six common sun protection mistakes that you may be making.
Photography: Vernon Wong; Art direction: Eugene Quek and Sabrina Tiong; Hair and makeup: Rina Sim using Dior (9762 6084); Model: Sherena Ng / Basic Models