As we leave winter, we say goodbye to cold, dry weather, when attempts to stay warm indoors pull moisture from the skin and leave it irritated, flaky or showing more fine lines than usual. Come summer, skin cells thicken and produce more pigment to defend against UV radiation, which can show up as a tan. Spring sits between these two states, and it happens to be the one stretch of the year when the skin can handle more intensive corrective work without the risks of strong sun exposure.
But the drastic seasonal changes also force you to take care of your skin a lot quicker than expected.
Whether you are keen on laser resurfacing or deeper chemical peels, Dr Alek Nikolic says there’s a catch. The fresh skin from such procedures is sensitive to UV light for several weeks after treatment. Start too late in the year, and a patient is left choosing between finishing the treatment properly or heading into summer with skin that burns and pigments easily.
“Even if there isn’t time left for a full course of laser treatment, there is usually still time for one or two sessions, or for a superficial to medium depth peel that gets part of the way there. A proper consultation tells us exactly what’s realistic before the season runs out,” he says.
Here’s a look at what you can do to keep your skin heatwave-ready:
This year’s spring season is among the most unpredictable due to global warming. What types of sun-protective products should South Africans who wear make-up daily consider?
The single most important product is a dedicated broad-spectrum sunscreen worn as the base layer under your make-up.
A foundation or BB cream carrying an SPF is helpful, but almost nobody applies it thickly enough to reach the figure on the label, so it should never be relied on alone. Look for broad-spectrum cover against both UVA and UVB, an SPF of 30 as a minimum and ideally 50, and a high PA rating such as PA++++.
South Africa carries some of the highest UV levels in the world, so this matters every day of the year, not only in summer. For daily make-up wearers, the real challenge is reapplication, because sunscreen needs topping up roughly every two hours, and you cannot do that with a cream once your face is done.
This is where an SPF setting powder or an SPF setting spray earns its place, as both let you reapply over make-up without disturbing it. Tinted mineral formulas are worth seeking out too. They use zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, and the iron oxides that give them their tint add a layer of protection against visible light, which is a recognised driver of pigmentation.
Other than dealing with pigmentation damage later in the year, what are some common mistakes those who struggle with it make?
The biggest mistake by far is trying to treat pigmentation without protecting against what causes it. Pigmentation is largely driven by sun and light exposure, so using brightening products while skipping daily sunscreen is like bailing out a boat without plugging the hole.
A daily broad-spectrum SPF, ideally a tinted one for the added protection against visible light, is the foundation of any pigmentation plan, all year round.
The second common mistake is being too aggressive. Picking at marks, over-exfoliating or piling on too many strong actives at once causes irritation, and irritation itself triggers more pigment, particularly in deeper skin tones.
Consistency with proven ingredients such as vitamin C, niacinamide, tranexamic acid, alpha arbutin and azelaic acid delivers far more than constantly chopping and changing
— Dr Alek Nikolic
A gentle, consistent regime beats an intense one that inflames the skin. The third is impatience. Pigmentation sits deep and shifts slowly, so people often abandon a good regime after a few weeks when they should give it a few months. Consistency with proven ingredients such as vitamin C, niacinamide, tranexamic acid, alpha arbutin and azelaic acid delivers far more than constantly chopping and changing.
Finally, not all pigmentation is the same. Melasma, which is often hormonal and worsened by heat, behaves very differently to a simple sun spot and responds poorly to a one-size-fits-all approach. If pigmentation is stubborn or spreading, a professional assessment to identify the type is time and money well spent.
With the hotter weather coming our way, what are safer ways to tan for those looking to get a bit of sun?
I have to be honest here because it is the responsible answer: there is no safe way to tan in the sun. A tan is simply the visible sign of the skin defending itself against UV damage, so a deliberate tan always carries a cost.
Sunbeds carry the highest risk of all and are best avoided completely. The genuinely safer route to colour is sunless tanning.
Modern self-tanners, gradual tanning moisturisers and professional spray tans use DHA to develop colour on the surface of the skin with no UV exposure at all, and the results are far more natural than they once were.
If you are going to be outdoors and would like a little colour anyway, the sensible approach is to avoid the peak UV hours between roughly 10am and 4pm, wear a broad-spectrum SPF and reapply it, and build any exposure slowly so that you never burn.
You will still develop a light, gradual colour with sunscreen on. What you avoid is the burning and the cumulative damage that drives premature ageing and pigmentation.
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