“A day without sunshine is like, you know, night.” –Steve Martin
The Trick
For as long as we can remember, the general rule when it comes to sun exposure has been to slather on a sunscreen with the highest SPF possible before venturing outside. Institut Esthederm has taken a different approach that works with the sun instead of against it. Their experts claim that overprotecting the skin by applying sun block causes it to lose its capacity to adapt to different strengths of sunlight. The new Photo Cellular Care line works to “re-educate” the skin, helping it to adjust to the sun’s rays rather than block them. As tanning is the skin’s natural reaction to protect it from harm, these new products claim to neutralize the sun’s negative impact, while stimulating the skin’s natural capacity for self-defense.
Unlike regular sun protection products, they don’t have an SPF index as they are formulated with patented ingredients such as UV inCellium for anti-inflammatory effect and DNA protection, Adaptasun for optimized tanning, and Cellular Water for vital cell function. These components aim to provide the most complete protection possible based on skin type and sun intensity, such that a longer-lasting golden tan results in increased protection from photo-aging and DNA damage.
However, with countless studies proving the irreparable damage caused by sun bathing, could all this be a little too good to be true? Perhaps.
The Tip
No matter what your choice of sun protection or the level of SPF protection, always apply the cream 20 minutes before going outside and re-apply every two hours on perfectly dry skin. Even the effects of the highest SPF 100+ diminish after sun exposure.