A few days ago I noticed a story in People titled “Dermatologists Say You Should Still Be Wearing Sunscreen Indoors” with quotes from dermatologists and affiliate links to sunscreen they recommend. It reminded me of a video I saw by Hot and Flashy with her anti-aging skincare routine. (I think it was this one but she has a few and I’m not watching the whole thing to confirm.) She used a mineral-based sunscreen before working out indoors. A lot of people were wondering why she bothered with sunscreen, especially when she was washing her face and reapplying layers of sunscreen under her makeup. It turns out that dermatologists recommend wearing sunscreen, even when indoors, because UV light comes in through the windows and can still damage your skin.
People has a new interview with Duchess Meghan’s facialist, a woman named Sarah Chapman who has a line called Skinesis and worked with her when she was in the UK. Chapman recommends wearing sunscreen indoors too. She also has some at-home recommendations for lockdown skincare, including giving yourself a facial massage, using yogurt as an exfoliator and making sure to moisturize before you clean to protect your hands from cleaning products. Meghan has such gorgeous and glowing skin, but I think a lot of that is genetic. Of course she’s a great advertisement for Chapman’s services. Here’s some of what Chapman said, with more at the source:
The Natural Exfoliator in Your Fridge
Yes, in true 1990s style, Chapman recommends checking the contents of your fridge for some DIY inspiration. “If you have any natural yogurt, put that on your face and leave it to dry. The lactic acid really helps to digest dead cells, but it also brightens,” says the Chelsea-based facialist, who suggests leaving it on for approximately five minutes before rubbing it off with your fingertips.Daily Massage
Known for her signature deep lymphatic massage technique, Chapman says even a few minutes of firm facial massage a day can be hugely beneficial. “A massage with a great oil or elixir can make a massive difference. Put the product on and use your palms, hands and knuckles to really knead the skin — that will bring the blood flow, help drainage and give you a glow.” Responsible for Meghan’s wedding day glow, Chapman who worked with the former royal throughout her time in the U.K., says massage can also be incorporated into your cleansing regime.Protect Your Skin from UVA Rays (Even Indoors)
Whether or not you’re managing to get outdoors for daily exercise, Chapman says sunscreen is still essential. “I get asked this a lot and yes it’s really important because even if you aren’t outside, UVA rays penetrate through glass and there’s also the blue light that comes from our computers.” From the facialist’s skincare line, Glow Illuminating Elixir not only tackles blue light pollution, but also raises money for charity. “It’s a limited-edition product we launched for The Prince’s Trust and their Women Supporting Women initiative.”Protect Your Face from Toxic Cleaning Products
Whether it’s spraying our surfaces at home or wiping down our postal deliveries, most people are going through excess bottles of cleaning products at the moment. “The fumes from cleaning products can affect our skins quite a bit,” says Chapman, who is currently consulting with her clients via video and offering masterclasses online. “I’m getting a lot of questions about sensitivity and redness so I’ve been advising my clients to put a thick barrier cream on before cleaning – something simple like Nivea or a really rich moisturizer works.”
It seems like if someone is using using toxic cleaning products they should just switch to more natural products, but that’s not an option at this time when cleaning products are scarce and we need strong disinfectants. It never occurred to me to moisturize before cleaning, and I’m going to do that to protect my hands particularly. One thing that changed my skin so much was using retinol-based products. I use prescription Tretinoin and I definitely see a difference in my skin, although it did make it peel for a few months before I saw a difference.
My favorite allover moisturizer which does not have sunscreen is CaraVe Moisturizing Cream. I’ve featured it on the Amazon posts and a lot of you say you love it too. I keep it at my desk and use it throughout the day on my hands and face. For sunscreen I like Neutrogena Clear Face and Elta MD is also very good, but it’s pricier. I also use a primer with sunscreen that makes my face look so smooth, Revlon Colorstay Prep and Protect primer. It does have a hint of color to it which may be best suited for pale skin.
For serums I’m currently using the niacinamide by Cos De Baha and hyaluronic acid by Cosmedica. Both are more affordable and have given me the best results. Now that I’m hearing about this facial massage I’m going to try kneading it in like Chapman suggests.
Oh and Chapman also gushed about working with Meghan and said she finds her inspiring and selfless. There are so many stories about what a generous and kind person Meghan is, but those get hardly any attention. (We talk about that phenomenon around minute 31 of the podcast this week. The stories about nice celebrities don’t get much interest.) The one story about Meghan maybe making someone cry once for asking them to do their job gets so much attention.
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Photos credit: WENN, Avalon.red and Backgrid
Isn’t that bad advice for the UK? There are lots of people who are Vitamin D deficient, specially in lockdown.
Natural sunlight exposure (in moderation, obviously) is important.
She also recommended taking daily vitamin D supplements, I just didn’t include that part.
Vitamin D supplements are nowhere near as good as actual daylight, not to mention expensive for a lot of people!
I have a child with a medical condition
– his blood tests often come back as low in Vit D.
He’s on medicated supplements but I have been asked to expose him to 15/20mns to daylight as well.
That’s all it takes.
I have been wearing sunscreen indoors for years after recommendation of my MD (I think we spoke about this on the post about the interview of Mellisandei from Game of Thrones), but have also taken vitamin D supplements for quite a while. Especially now during COVID quarantine where I’m not out as much anyway. Doc says this way is safer
@Yamayo
From what I read sunscreen doesn’t block UV rays completely so it wouldn’t prevent your body from obtaining Vitamin D. People rarely ever wear enough sunscreen, nor reapply enough to do that. Apparently studies have shown wearing sunscreen does not cause Vitamin D deficiency. But, always good to check with your dermatologist, & family doctor for supplements.
In Australia where they are religious about sunscreen they have noted a resurgence of Vit D deficiency in children in particular.
@Yamayo Australia is literally under a hole in the ozone layer. The UV levels here can be dangerous. Skin cancer is dangerous so I’d rather wear sunscreen & take a Vitamin D supplement.
I had my Vit D levels checked last year, cant remember the exact number but it was somwehere in the 20/30 ng/ml. Im in Scotland and no, I dont wear sunscreen indoors and dont intend to either. Both OH & I have auto immune diseases, live in an area known for Vit D deficiency so taking a supplement is pretty much a necessity. A side note, when I was having my levels checked, the practice nurse told me that most folk in Scotland are considered to have low levels and should be taking a Vit D supplement routinely.
Was told by a neurologist everyone north of LA is deficient, everyone should supplement (and get sun why not?)
You only need 15 minute exposure for vitamin D absorption and that can easily be done exposing your arm. Sunscreen should be worn year round on face, neck and chest. If a person cares about premature ageing, wrinkles, freckles, discoloration, etc then they should definitely apply sunscreen.
Yeah it’s important to wear sunscreen indoors and even on cloudy days. Especially since retinol and skin-brightening/resurfacing products have become so popular, it causes photosensitivity, so sunscreen is a must.
I just ordered the Maelove sunscreen – I am excited to try it. I’ve been using the Purito for a while and I like it, but my skin is oily and coming into summer it may not work as well for me. As a prescription retin a user, I do the sunscreen step whether I’m going out or not. I also carry with me a sunscreen powder brush, but usually forget to use it.
My issue right now is the painful bumps around my nose and on my chin from wearing my mask at work. I’m in a hospital and wear it for nearly the entire 8 hours. It sucks. I’ve been changing it up with a) charcoal masks a few times a week and b) no moisturizer after I put on the tretinoin. We’ll see if that helps!
I follow a dermatologist that recommends using only gentle cleansers and moisturizing regularly to protect the skin barrier & prevent breakouts from masks. Have you tried maybe a barrier cream on the pressure points (nose bridge, chin, etc.) of the mask? Or, I saw a video of a nurse who bought really thin silicone tape from amazon and used that as a layer between her skin and mask. It sucks that’s happening to a lot of healthcare workers rn, I hope you find something that helps!
I actually have a cica barrier cream – I will try that! It’s such a confusing time. I was wondering if it might be fungal acne.
@Jessica
Seriously! It’s such a confusing time 😣
I got a sample bag of different sunscreens from Sephora. It included a full size of Dr. Dennis Gross Dark Spot Sun Defense SPF 50 broad spectrum. I didn’t realize, but it has tons of Vitamin C, and my skin tends to not like Vitamin C.
After a few days of use, I mistook my red inflamed skin for a mild sunburn, so I used extra sunscreen on my neck a few days in a row…and now my neck is super red and inflamed and it looks like I’ve been strangled!
Lesson is, I should have looked more into this product before using! I know a lot of people get good results with Vitamin C, but not me.
it seems weird that a sunscreen would have vitamin c because I thought vitamin c caused sun sensitivity? Maybe not. I have not had good or bad results with it, so I stopped using it. I hope your reaction clears up soon!
Good point, Vitamin C isn’t supposed to be good in the sun! The bottle just says it has a “c-complex”, which duh, I should have realized what that meant. The website goes on to explain it has 3 kinds of Vitamin C and E. Before I used it, I was excited that it was a physical sunscreen, it was SPF 50 and it was broad spectrum. In the reviews, the biggest complaint is the white cast, so it might just be my skin that can’t tolerate the C. It doesn’t sound like my results are typical.
I was using Drunk Elephant broad spectrum SPF 30, which was gentle on my skin. I think I am going back to that!
Vitamin C actually boosts the efficacy of sunscreen and is recommended to be used in the morning.
https://www.realsimple.com/beauty-fashion/skincare/vitamin-c-sunscreen
My dermatologist recommends sunscreen indoors. Eucerin makes a face moisturizer with SPF15. He says that’s fine if I’m just staying in the house.
Yep, my mom told me this years ago. Wear spf rain or shine and inside. Supergoop Unseen sunscreen is my holy grail. I use retinol and chemical exfoliants so it’s very important I have sun protection.
Some of what she said was valid and some of it was complete BS. You SHOULD wear sunscreen indoors if you are exposed to direct sunlight through your windows on a daily basis. My esthetician and derm both say this.
As for the “toxic” cleaning products crap. It’s just that -crap. I really am over people pushing the “toxic” narrative. It’s fear-mongering and not based on any science or facts.
I don’t think it’s BS. Cleaning products are poorly regulated and can contain harsh chemicals that are known irritants, andsome even suspected to be carcinogenic or hormone distuptors. Good, non-toxic cleaning products can be as simple as vinegar and baking soda.
The most bs things are parabens, aluminum in deodorant, etc. If I can use vinegar and baking soda and lemon to clean, why not? But the most important thing is to take it upon ourselves to find those scientific docs that actually back up claims and learn about the ingredients to become an educated consumer. That applies to what we put on our face and everywhere else. The biggest fear mongers are the EWG.
Let’s not lie to ourselves that the fear isn’t instilled from these ‘all natural’ marketing schemes. The essential in essential oil actually means volatile but no one seems to know that part!
I would suggest looking at actual scientific studies about ingredients. And not blogs or EWG.
@David exactly.
I completely agree with you, Valiantly Varnished. The Wellness Industrial Complex has co-opted the terms “toxin” and “natural” in order to make huge profits, and people eat it up. We need more peer-reviewed, quality evidence before we freak out about the latest recommendations for behavioral change. Think of Goopy et al: jade vagina eggs, NASA stickers: Good. Natural. Vaccines: Bad. Toxic!!! But about the alcohol that flows freely through their veins, and the excessive use of botulinum toxin for aesthetic purposes by the same crowd? Those are literal toxins. Why are they okay? And syphilis and measles are 100% organic. Shouldn’t that be good? My point is, they arbitrarily decide what’s okay and not okay based on profitability.
Also, the concern about aluminum in antiperspirant being problematic in terms of oncogenic potential had been disproved again and again. I’m sorry, but you’re going to get exposed to heavy metals walking outside, or taking a plane ride, or a billion other ways in daily life, and your antiperspirant is the least of your issues there. Why do people love to ignore the quality science? Oh yeah, because it’s more profitable not to.
It’s certainly a great idea to consider protecting the skin against UV light/visible light indoors (especially if you spend a lot of time in close proximity to windows), but peer reviewed research into HEVs and blue light is fledgling, and we should not freak out yet if we don’t or haven’t done it, just because an unqualified person suggests it’s a must. Based on global skin cancer rates, a really big win would be just being consistent with sunscreen application outdoors.
I religiously wear sunscreen indoors! I really do think it’s made a huge difference.
I’m Indian so my skin has never been able to absorb vitamin D from the sun well anyways. I take liquid D3 and it seems to do the trick.
Aw no, I’m 34 years old and just found that out. It’s probably too late for my skin. I’ve only recently even started regular sunscreen when I go outside. Pretty bad for my skin, but I do miss the carelessness of it though, and not constantly monitoring my sun exposure. Also, I love the color of her ensemble in the first photo. It suits her perfectly, what a great look!
Never too late! I didn’t start sunscreen indoors until my late 30s – go for it 🙂
It’s never too late to take care of your largest organ! Skincare is my passion in life but sunscreen truly hates me. With that said, I still wear ss with more than incidental exposure. I’ve found that antioxidants are a game changer. Replenix CF serum and cream are amazing. As always, ymmv.
In Colorado, we’re more than a mile above sea level and we’re missing more than a mile of the atmosphere – the heaviest part. That missing mile makes the sun very harsh and bright. Skin cancer and cataracts are both major problems here because of the sun.
As a result, Vitamin D deficiency is a big deal because it can be difficult to spend enough time in the sun without burning.
Our doctors have us taking Vitamin D every day, year round.
As for sunscreen, I wear it daily, inside or out and have for a very long time. Add it to your routine and don’t skip it.
Bare Minerals tinted sunscreen is my favorite everyday sunscreen. It’s not high enough SPF (30) to use if I’m going to be properly outside. I use their 50 for actual outside wear. It doesn’t cause problems for my rosacea. And my dad, who’s an oncologist and lifelong sunscreen evangelist, also recommended it to me. 🙂
High five fellow Tret user! That stuff is magical. But I’m all about the sunscreen. My skin gets super sensitive without. I can understand trying to be careful indoors too.
I am super pale so I wear SPF every time I leave the house, but I do not put it on if I am staying inside, unless I would sit right by a window for a while with the sun shining in.
The way most people apply sunscreen is too little, I read somewhere that in test labs they put it on several ml thick, and evidence of effectiveness is based on a thickness of a layer of sunscreen no one actually wears.
I am always wondering though, what are really the consequences of not wearing SPF (if let’s say unlike me your skin doesn’t burn at the very thought of a ray of sun?). Because most men I know never wear sunscreen unless sunbathing on a beach, and they seem fine (so far). Of course they are not using retinol etc either, but what about women who don’t either?
The amount of ss needed for the protection that is listed on the bottle is 1/4 tsp for the face. Shot glass for the body.
The sunscreen craze the last few years has really put a spotlight on the fear of aging instead of for actual protection due to skin cancer, etc.
My favourite day cream is Neutrogena Deep Moisture with a #20 SPF. It makes my skin look glowy and I wear it indoors too. At night I use Neutrogena Healthy Skin with retinol along with a vitamin C/hyaluronic acid serum. I also invested in a LightStim facial wand which I use a few times a week and have noticed a big improvement in the texture and tightness of my skin. I can’t afford expensive products but the LightStim was a smart purchase – I found it on sale for $179.
Unless you live in a dark cave, always wear sunscreen indoors. And don’t forget to reapply.
Hmmm. That seems a little excessive to me. I do think we need some sun exposure for vitamin d and it helps with depression and sleep cycles. I use Trader Joe’s face lotion every day on my face and hats and sunscreen if I’m going out in the heat of the day for a while but I do think people can go overboard on sunscreen. Be smart about it but we don’t have to be vampires!
PS. Everyone in the damned world has low Vitamin D. Part of the problem is that the metrics used to measure it vary from lab to lab and place to place; what’s considered a “normal” range isn’t universally agreed upon.
The importance of Vitamin D is well established. The issue is how to go about getting it.
Some medical professionals think just 15 minutes a day of incidental sun exposure is sufficient; others prefer patients to supplement because there are so many variables that can impact how it is synthesized from person to person, and if enough is synthesized to sustain adequate levels. A supplement provides a quantifiable input that can later be measured and adjusted.
Speaking here as a super pale, sun-fearing, vitamin D deficient person who also supplements and attempts low incidental exposure daily while slathered in sunscreen.
I don’t wear sunscreen indoors. There are sheers and blinds that you can buy to block out UV rays. I personally have ones from Hunter Douglas, which work great at protecting both my furniture and my skin without sacrificing sunlight that comes into the house.
deep lymphatic massage for face is an oxymoron – the lymphatics are pretty superficial and compress with minimal pressure.