Retinol, alpha hydroxy acids (AHA), and hydroquinone are powerful “active ingredients” on the market today that can help with the signs of skin aging. Great, right? Well yes, sort of – you have to use them correctly as a major side effect is they increase sun sensitivity. I know, so unfair – why does something that helps with the signs of aging also making us more susceptible to the sun – the leading cause of skin aging. Fortunately, if these ingredients are paired with effective sun protection, used at the right time, and you follow the direction of your doctor, you can be on your way to glowing skin. [More]

Have you ever wondered what your skin looks like to the sun? I know it sounds funny but with special high-tech cameras you can see what your skin looks like under ultraviolet light (UV). It can be worrisome or it can be amazing. The difference? Sunscreen! [More]

The sun can be our friend and our foe. It provides warmth and life but also emits ultraviolet rays (UV rays) that cause all kinds of skin damage - wrinkles, sunspots, discoloration and even skin cancer. In fact UV rays are responsible for 80% of all skin aging. UV rays come in three different forms: UVA, UVB and UVC. All are naked to the human eye. Let's break down UVA rays a bit more. We'll get into the other rays in the next round. [More]

Are you putting the left side of your face in danger every time you get into the car? Very likely according to a new study published in The Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) - Ophthalmology. The study found that driver's side windows let a lot of UVA rays through. What do UVA rays do? They cause skin aging, skin spots, sunburn, cataracts and even skin cancer. But don't fret, there are easy ways to keep your skin looking great. [More]

Fun in the sun is taking off now with the warmer weather. We love the sun here at Block Island Organics but we also love playing smart and playing safe in the sun (hey that also happens to be our tagline!). So this week I'm here to give you a quick hit list of five great sun protection tips. [More]

The temps are heating up across the country so this week we are going back to the sunscreen basics. I'm going to do a quick 101 on the difference between sunscreen vs. sunblock. Yes there actually is a difference between the two even though almost everyone uses the two words interchangeably. [More]

Sunscreen dates all the way back to the Egyptians. Can you believe it? Granted sunblock was very different back then. However one thing remained the same over thousands of years, the purpose of sunscreen - to protect the skin from the sun. [More]

There's no denying it - protecting your skin from the sun makes you look younger. Up to 20 years younger as decreed by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) after a study from Harvard University's medical school was presented at their conference. [More]

We talk a lot about ultraviolet (UV) rays - what they are and why it's important to stay protected from them. That's because UV rays are a leading cause of skin damage and premature skin aging. But how do you measure UV rays? Well we've got the 411 for you as part of our Suncare Smarts series. [More]

Yes yes yes - the title of my article says it all! Sunscreen is the top ranked treatment for fighting wrinkles. Imagine how excited I was (but not surprised) when I saw this message in a recent Women's Health article (and then reposted on Yahoo Beauty) about sunscreen. Here's the deal... [More]