Hi Guys!

We hope you are loving our new website as much as we are. We are currently fixing a few things here and there, but overall we think it is SO much easier to use! There are a few new features that we didn’t have before like the online store – now you can repurchase your products from us without even leaving the house (is there any better way to shop then in your pyjamas at home?).

We also have a new wonderful feature which allows you to purchase gift vouchers online and have them sent directly to your email!

As part of our fabulous new website being launched we are also going to be doing a blog once a month. This will be on products, treatments and different things going on in the world of Serendipity Medi Spa. If you have any ideas or anything that you would like to see some information on please throw them our way!

 

To start them off – I am going to be going a bit more in depth about Understanding Sunscreens and why were so crazy about them.

As a beauty therapist/skin technician my jaw nearly hits the floor when someone tells me they don’t wear sunscreen – don’t get me wrong…I think we have come a long way from the old tanning days where you would cover yourself in coconut oil and bake out in the sun like a cooked chook and people are a lot more sun savvy now than they ever have been…

However we still hear A LOT of…

“My foundation has SPF in it”

“I work indoors so I don’t need to wear sunscreen”

“Its winter and grey outside…why would I wear a sunscreen?”

“I NEVER burn…I don’t need sunscreen”

 

To answer some of these questions for you…we need to start from the top.

UV RADIATION 

What is UV Radiation?

The sun sends our different types of radiation that reach the earth – visible light that is seen as sunlight, infrared radiation which is felt as heat and ultraviolet radiation (UVR). UVR is broken down into Ultraviolet A, Ultraviolet B and Ultraviolet C rays. Now these guys are sneaky because you actually cannot see or feel them…which means you have no idea of the damage being done until it’s already happened.

UVA RAYS

You would have been exposed to a great amount of UVA rays already in your lifetime. UV A rays account for a MASSIVE 95% of UVR rays that reach the earth’s surface. Although they are less intense than UVB rays, UVA rays are 30-50 times more prevalent! They are also pretty consistent in intensity whether it be rain, hail or shine – and can penetrate through clouds, water and glass. UVA rays play a MAJOR part in long term skin ageing (or photo-ageing) and can also initiate skin cancers. So basically, on a cold winter’s day when you’re driving to work – your skin is still heavily exposed to dangerous UVA rays!

UVB RAYS

UVB rays damage the skins more superficial layers and cause the skin reddening and what we know as sunburn. These also contribute significantly to advanced skin ageing, pigmentation, facial redness and broken capillaries and skin cancers. Once again, you won’t actually feel these rays as the heat from the sun is felt from infrared radiation, but UVB rays are present and can burn all year round. Getting sunburnt, just once every 2 years, can triple your risk of melanoma skin cancer.

So what I’m saying is…If you can see the sun it can definitely see YOU!

Photo-ageing from UVR rays won’t happen overnight, it’s a slow process over years. Sun spots and pigmentation will slowly start appearing on the skins surface, the skin will slowly start losing elasticity and fine lines and wrinkles are going to appear. Now just using a sunscreen is not going to completely stop the ageing process (we wish it was that easy) however it is going to protect you from the harmful UVR rays which damage the skins makeup and accelerate the ageing process.

PREVENTION IS BETTER THAN A CURE

Pigmentation and skin ageing is the BIGGEST concern of our clients, and the main thing we treat in clinic. We always say prevention is a lot better (and easier) than a cure. It’s much easier to maintain a healthy skin or to reverse the signs of natural ageing than it is for us to start breaking down pigmentation on the skins surface and try turn back the clock on 30 odd years of sun damage. In saying that…we are pretty amazing and have some fantastic treatments and products that can lighten and breakdown pigmentation as well as lift and plump the skin, but before we even look at starting these sorts of results driven treatments we need to look at protecting the skin first.

NO SPF? NO PEEL!

We offer a number of incredible treatments at Serendipity which are designed to get you amazing results. A lot of these treatments are incredibly active and resurface, plump, refine and brighten the skin’s surface, as well as working much deeper in the skin where all of your connective tissue is to stimulate collagen and elastin. So your probably wondering why were a bit hesitant to perform these incredible treatments if you’re not protecting your skin from the sun.

One analogy I like to use is that it would be like “Going to the gym for a 45 minute personal training session, then going through KFC drive thru on the way home”

They don’t really complement each other do they? It’s the same with advanced treatments and SPF. It would almost be pointless for us to treat you with medical grade treatments – then send your fresh, newly resurfaced skin out into the sun without a good quality, broad spectrum SPF. I once worked with a doctor who told her clients that using SPF was as important as leaving the house with clothes on. Think of it like a dress for the face!

CHOOSING A GOOD SPF

So what are some things to look out for when choosing a good SPF?

• Broad Spectrum – Meaning it protects you from UVA and UVB rays. Your SPF included in your foundation is usually not Broad Spectrum.
• SPF 30+ or 50+ – in our harsh summers and climate, anything below a 30+ is not providing your skin with enough protection. Also, the higher the sun protection rating is means the more the UVB rays will be blocked out. SPF 50+ blocks out 98% of UVB rays, as opposed to an SPF 4 which only blocks out 75%.
• Water resistant – if you are using the SPF while you are at the beach you want to ensure you have a good water resistance.

We are absolutely in LOVE with the Protective Daily Moisturizers in Ultraceuticals. These are so different to your standard, run of the mill cancer council sunscreens you can buy over the counter…and your skin will love you for it. Many sunscreens on the market today offer a HIGH SPF rating with broad spectrum coverage but also have a very HIGH CHEMICAL LOAD (this is where your Nano-particles can come into play). This means they are using a lot more chemicals then is necessary to achieve the high SPF rating.

There was a study done across Australia by the TGA a while ago, and the Ultra Protective Daily Moisturizer came back with the highest SPF efficiency with the lowest chemical load. They are also free of parabens and nasty’s, contain an amazing ANTI-AGEING complex as well as a DAILY MOISTURISING COMPLEX and also come in different textures to suit oily or dry skins. What more could you possibly want from your sunscreen?!?

I hope this article has given you a bit of insight into why we are so nuts about sunscreen, and has answered some of those tricky questions above for you.
Ultimately, weather you use one of our fabulous sunscreens – or you have another brand that you fall in love with – were happy as long as you’re wearing it.

Lots of Love

Emma and the team at Serendipity Medi Spa xx