Lipstick Sunscreen Is Super Awesome
(Photo: Getty Images)
If you’re like us, you probably have a love-hate relationship with sunscreen too. You know it’s good for your skin—and you love the fact that the simple act of applying sunscreen religiously today can keep wrinkles and dark spots away longer in the future. Still, the texture bothers you, and the smell, and the fact that you have to reapply every couple of hours. And then you also realize that all this time you really have been missing an important area of your skin—your lips—because, really, who puts sunscreen on their lips? But here’s the deal: According to SkinCancerOrg.com, cancer of the lip comprises approximately 0.6 percent of all cancers in the US. And while smoking, alcohol consumption and immunosuppression makes you more susceptible, the most important risk factor by far is cumulative UV exposure.
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This is the reason Tricia Trimble of Suntegrity Skincare created Lip CPR, the first lipstick that offers a broad-spectrum protection from sun damage. Below, a little Q&A from Suntegtrity founder, Tricia Trimble:
TELL US ABOUT SUNTEGRITY:
Tricia Trimble: After losing my mom to skin cancer I became a big advocate of wearing sunscreen. However, most of the sunscreens on the market use chemical UV blockers and contain a lot of toxic ingredients. It didn’t make sense to me to use these types of sunscreens to prevent skin cancer only to get another kind of cancer. After several years of research and investigation, I decided to develop my own sun care line that uses the safest ingredients.
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TELL US SOMETHING WE DON’T KNOW ABOUT SUNSCREEN:
Tricia Trimble: The sun never takes a day off! Sun protection is something you need to wear 365 days a year, rain or shine. Since up to 90% of visible skin aging is caused by sun damage, your best defense against premature lines and wrinkles is a good sunscreen. Even the light coming through the windows in your home, office and car—even on cloudy days—damages the skin just like direct sunlight. Most people remember to wear sunscreen when they go to the beach, however, daily sun exposure is extremely damaging to the skin over time. I want to make it easy to remember to wear sunscreen daily so I’ve incorporated SPF into everyday makeup products like primer and tinted moisturizer. This saves you time and you don’t have to worry about adding another product to protect your skin.
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WHY SHOULD WE LOVE SUNTEGRITY SUNSCREEN?
Tricia Trimble: Suntegrity sunscreens use between 18% to 20% non-nano-size zinc oxide as the only active sunscreen ingredient, and they all received top ratings in the EWG’s 2016 Sunscreen Guide. Our natural products are all multitasking and infused with youth-promoting antioxidants. If you like scent, our sunscreens are available in uplifting citrus scents (made from essential oils not artificial fragrance) and if you prefer your sunscreen unscented, we have that as well. We offer an array of tinted sunscreens for the face and lips that make wearing sunscreen fun and easy to incorporate into your daily routine. Additionally, we package our products in eco-chic, unisex packaging for all to enjoy.
TELL US ALL ABOUT THE FIRST LIPSTICK WITH SPF 30?
Tricia Trimble: Protecting the lips is just as important as protecting the skin on your body and face, so making a lip product was a natural progression of our line. We wanted a high-performing lip sunscreen that was also fashionable and fun to wear. Currently there are lip balms and lip tints with SPF 15 but not lipsticks, and none with SPF 30. That’s when we knew we had to be the first to make one.
SHOULD WE BE CONCERNED ABOUT PUTTING SPF ON MY LIPS – WHAT IF WE ACCIDENTALLY EAT IT?
Tricia Trimble: We certainly don’t recommend eating your lipstick. However, the great thing about using zinc oxide as the active ingredient in our lipstick is that zinc is a dietary supplement and is even used to fortify some cereals because many people are actually zinc deficient. So, if you happen to ingest a small amount when you lick your lips, we doubt any doctor will feel it’s enough to cause harm.
WHY ARE YOU USING SPF 30?
Tricia Trimble: Most dermatologists recommend using a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 30 because using an SPF 15 only blocks 93% of the UVB radiation versus an SFP 30 which blocks nearly 97%. Additionally, the SPF of a product only refers to the UVB protection it provides. It is also important to be protected against UVA rays so be sure to use a sunscreen like Suntegrity that offers “broad spectrum” protection.
WHY SHOULD PEOPLE WITH SENSITIVE SKIN BE EXCITED ABOUT ZINC BASED SUNSCREEN?
Tricia Trimble: Zinc oxide in known for its calming effects on rosacea, inflammation, acne and melasma. We only use zinc oxide as our active sunscreen ingredient because it is very therapeutic to the skin and great for people with sensitive skin.
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