Emer O'Callaghan: My guide to being savvy in the sun

We are almost out of May, which is Melanoma Awareness Month, and as everyone knows, I am forever banging the drum on SPF - and good quality ones at that.

We all need to be wearing SPF 365 days a year, because, sadly, skin cancer is still very prevalent in Ireland. I really do not wish to write a piece that will scare the Bejesus out of you and have you fretting and worrying because I believe there is a very safe, professional, easy way to educate people without scare tactics.

And, sure, look at the state of our world - none of us need to hear any more negative, depressing, and bad news, so instead I’d like to educate and inform you in ways that you will remember and find easy to do this summer.

Please God, we will get a good summer now, God knows we deserve it after the long winter, but one thing we all need to be more aware of is the harmful UV rays we are exposed to daily.

Every day in my clinic, I treat people with years of sun damage and pigmentation that could easily have been preventable if we had people educated better.

Lots of my older clients say things like, ‘Oh, Emer, in my day we had no clue, we used rub on baby oil and go out in the sun, our mothers would be telling us to cock your face up to the sun to get a tan’.

I always like to reassure them by telling them the danger of sun exposure has increased, as has awareness of it.

So, as we dust off the summer hats and pull out the summer dresses, and cross our fingers, toes, and legs that we will get to wear them this year, this week I want to give some all round skin and beauty tips that are for all ages, and the men too.

SUMMER SKINCARE

As a skin specialist, I see the effects all the time of people who don’t realise how important it is to have different skincare in summer months than winter.

Of course, you can stick with your’ same skincare brand if that’s what you prefer, but you must know that any product that is oil-based is not suitable for use in spring and summer as oil will attract the sun and give you more pigmentation damage.

Every summer, I see people who did not know this vital rule. This is why the smart person will come in and get a skin treatment to learn what their present concerns are, and get their products professionally prescribed for them for the summer months, then reanalysed again before winter to know what they need for the colder months.

If you ask me, people have wasted thousands over the years randomly buying any old moisturiser, any old cleanser and toner and SPF, with no clue that if they are not suitable for your skin concerns, you’re only throwing good money away as you simply won’t get the results.

This is why my six-week skin kick- start programme is proving to be a huge hit in my clinic.

FACIALS A MUST

You are wasting your time buying the newest, anti-ageing serum or infrared heat mask if you are not doing regular facials.

You have mountains of dead skin on your face and neck which needs to be removed, that’s what a good deep cleanse facial does. These are the most ageing thing of all.

Those of us that do regular facials can look 10 or even 20 years younger than we actually are. Professional facials are what are turning back the clock for clients.

CORRECT SPF

As I have highlighted for the past few weeks now, it’s so important that we all know that any old SPF is not sufficient protection.

For a start, last year’s one is gone off, and you need to buy them new every summer.

For full UV protection, always opt for factor 50 - you will still tan.

Next, your SPF must say both UVA and UVB protection, and must clearly contain the key words ‘Broad Spectrum’. It means you are covered from the very harmful rays.

I did one of my popular beauty videos on this recently, and you can watch it on our Emerald Beauty Clinic Facebook, Instagram and TikTok pages now.

BODY SCRUBS

The skin on all our bodies is more exposed and needs more attention its summer.

My own Emerald Organic Body Scrub sells well this time of year and men love it too as they also need to be exfoliating their skin weekly.

I find people have no problem doing it weekly in summer as we all just have more skin exposed.

NO NAPPING IN THE SUN

Every summer, I meet people with very bad sunburn and they laugh it off as nothing and say, ‘Oh, I fell asleep out the back’. Look, anyone can get caught out, I know, we are all only human, I am not the sunburn police! But I do know it’s not good for anyone’s skin.

We all love the sun and the bit of heat, and God knows, we don’t get enough of it, but make sure you are reapplying your SPF every two hours when outside, and know that the sun is strongest between noon and 3pm - this is being sun savvy.

HATS ARE PRIORITY

Everyone should have a sun hat on on sunny days. I must say that men over 65 are great for this. But jeez, lads, the bald fellas really need to invest in one.

I have quite a collection of sun hats now myself and I love baseball ones.

Us blondes, redheads and grey- haired people also need to wear hats as the sun will be more attracted to our scalps.

LIPS, EARS, AND BACK OF THE HANDS

Burnt lips with blisters I see every summer, and it is usually caused by teens not applying SPF there, but lashing on lip glosses instead, which are oils attracting the sun.

Aloe vera gel is great for healing burnt lips and skin, but the key is to not get it burnt in the first place.

I swear people forget they have ears at all in summer, they too need SPF, while so many women give out about their ageing hands, but when I ask them do they put SPF on them, they say no. This will really help to slow down the ageing process.

Enjoy the sunny days ahead, just be sun savvy and skin aware, you don’t want to pay the price in later years for neglecting your skin.

• Emer O’Callaghan is a beauty doctor and skin specialist who won Irish Beauty Therapist of the year and works at Emerald Organic Beauty Products Ltd, trading as Emerald Beauty Clinic, 021 4365949. A multi award winning Gunoit Crown Elite Clinic and Dermalogica Centre of Excellence, 2008-2026. www.emeraldbeautyclinic.ie - follow us on Facebook/instagram/TikTok.
• SIX WEEK SKIN KICKSTART: If you would like help with your skin, my six- week skin kick-start is ideal. You get three professional facials over the six weeks and your skin professionally analysed for you, and a personalised home care plan done up. By the end, we will have removed over a decade of dead skin cells, taking years off your skin, and the results are amazing. You can start at any time, appointments are needed to book, simply call Emerald Beauty Clinic on 021 4365049. Free parking.