The one skincare step you should never skip

We may not use every serum in our routine or double cleanse every evening, but failing to apply SPF can cause extreme damage to our skin.

And it's often irreversible.

Lauren Rafferty, National Skincare Educator with Renaissance Skincare, explained why it’s so important to wear SPF every single day.

"Applying SPF daily to the skin is essential to product from skin cancers and also to protect the skin from accelerated aging.

"We all know that this is the most talked-about step in the skincare industry. It is so important to apply daily because we have UV radiation all year round, which can damage the skin at any time of day. UV radiation includes UVA, UVB, and UVC."

The different types of UV radiation

UVC is protected from our ozone layer, although in places like Australia, where the ozone layer is damaged, we need to be more careful. 

UVA rays are around all year; they penetrate through glass and actually affect the deeper layers of the skin, causing a breakdown of collagen and elastin in the skin. They are also linked to DNA changes in the skin cells which can lead to skin cancer.  

UVB rays are mostly around during peak sun exposure times. These rays cause inflammation and a histamine response in the skin.

This leads to sunburn on the surface of the skin. Sunburn is your body’s way of trying to protect the skin from too much sun exposure. 

Lauren stressed that wearing SPF is one skincare step you should never skip, even if it is cloudy and dull outside.

"It’s important to choose a broad-spectrum protection as this will protect your skin from both UVA and UVB exposure."

A lot of SPFs also have a blue light and infrared filter, which helps protect the skin from our screens and lights.