Sunscreen - Your Skin's Best Friend

No longer relegated to beach bags and holiday getaways, sunscreen has been embraced by a wide array of skin care professionals as a surefire to prevent wrinkles and keep one's skin looking smooth and healthy.

Although humans are obviously more prone to the nasty effects of harmful UV rays when they're baking in the sun all day long, the aging affects of the sun hit you the minute you walk out the front door or while you are driving in your car on your way home from work. It's no wonder sunlight accounts for a whopping 90 per cent of premature skin aging, including wrinkles.

Simply put, sunscreens work to block out the harmful UVA and UVB radiation found in sunlight by actually absorbing these harmful rays.

Although most people go by the SPF reading on a sunscreen bottle to determine which is right for them (the higher the number, the higher the protection) another way to determine if a sunscreen protects against harmful radiation is to look at the ingredients. If a sunscreen doesn't have an SPF of at least 15 and contain avobenzone, titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, you are not doing your skin any favors.

The only thing left to do once you've chosen the right sunscreen is to make sure you apply it right and apply it often.

Sunscreen should be applied liberally enough so as to create a light film on your skin. And keep in mind that it usually takes anywhere between 20 to 30 minutes for the skin to absorb sunscreen; so applying sunscreen after you wash your face - not while you are in the car - is probably your best bet.

Ultimately, the best way to protect your skin is to make sunscreen a part of your daily routine - right up there with brushing your teeth and combing your hair. It's a surefire way to keep your skin smooth and wrinkle free.