Although skin care professionals continue to convey the importance of sun care and wearing sunscreen, it never ceases to amaze me how many people think they are exempt from the holy grail of preventative aging because they “don’t go outside.” With exception of those living in windowless houses and traveling by tunnel, sun protection products are nonnegotiable. Explore the feature articles this month to give clients the most up-to-date answers on their sun-soaked problems.

In a skin care professional’s SPF-rich world, it may be tempting to cast away the sun’s rays for good. However, this is not plausible, and clients still require education to guide them through smart sun care choices, especially in the summertime. Read over Celeste Hilling’s article entitled, “Basking Beauty” to learn about environmental exposure, prescribing effective sun care, why it matters, and how conduct a thorough self-examination.

Although each and every client should take sun care seriously, those who are allergic to the sun must take extra care in the warmer months of the year. Photosensitivities cause amplified skin reactions to the sun and put those who suffer from this condition at risk for long-term skin damage and even cancer. Learn about the various sun sensitivities, what ingredients and treatments these clients should avoid, and how to protect the body from serious harm with “Photosensitivity Facets,” an article by Annette Hanson. 

Even with the excess amount of education given on sun care, clients turning up with a sunburn from a summer day gone too long is inevitable for most skin care professionals. Discover how to spot the difference between short-term versus long-term damage, how to select the right treatments and products for clients to heal, and how to avoid the situation from happening again with the article, “Sunburn Blues” by Melissa Morris.

Summer may mean different things to different people, but sunburns and skin damage could be a thing of the past with the right approach and most trusted education. We know our readers would never skip out on sunscreen, but thanks to this issue, they will never be short of reasoning when clients do.