THE TRUTH ABOUT SPF & UVA/B.     Listen up, ski bunnies! 

You may not think you have to worry about wearing sunscreen in the winter, but the most damaging rays are still wreaking havoc on your face.  Save your skin with both UVA and UVB protection.  The latest scoop on keeping your skin happy, healthy and younger looking all year long.

When the FDA recently announced it was updating labelling guidelines for sun-protection products, beauty companies noticed.  What’s new?  The buzz is all about UVA – which has been proven to cause the most long-lasting damage to skin health.  Research shows that these rays are the real culprits behind premature wrinkles, dark spots, uneven complexion, inflammation, sagging – even skin cancer.

Right now most products focus on SPF, or Sun Protection Factor as most of you know by now.  But we’re learning SPF measures only UVB levels (the rays that cause sunburn).  So if you’re concerned with aging (and really, who isn’t?), you need to tune in to UVB and UVA protection.  The problem is even if you use broad-spectrum sunscreen, which claims to protect against UVB and UVA, there’s no way of knowing just how much UVA you’re getting because standard guidelines don’t exist in North America.

Enter the FDA’s new labelling regulation, which proposes that suncare products list the UVA protection right on the bottle.  You may already be familiar with this practice if you’ve been shopping in a Paris or Tokyo drugstore, where sunscreen bottles feature one important extra symbol: PA+, PA++ or PA+++.  Also, in the U.K., they’ve embraced the Boots five-star rating

Now Health Canada is re-evaluating its labelling requirements too, and expects to establish its own guidelines for UVA protection soon.  .  Until then, look for products that have science behind them like the following:

I personally recommend & use: La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ tinted extreme fluid.  It’s feels weightless, does the trick and gives a nice sheer tint.

Also good & less expensive is Neutrogena age shield repair sunscreen with SPF 55.  It goes on light but doesn’t feel sticky or make your face look white.

Clinique broad spectrum moisture surge and Biotherm Skin-Vivo both with SPF 15 were also recommended by Chatelaine Magazine.

**Don’t miss listening to “Transforming Health” with host Brad King for the most up-to-the-minute interviews with leading health experts – Live every Wednesday @ 12PM-PST/3PM-EST on VoiceAmerica.com – #1 internet radio station in North America. Here’s the link: http://www.voiceamerica.com/show/1686/transforming-health