As soon as the sun shines, the conversation quickly switches to SPF protection and stores are full to the brim of brands promising to protect you from everything there is to protect you from, but as we all know, we should be wearing sun protection every single day of the year regardless of how hot it is, or even if it is raining, that skin which is exposed should be protected. I openly admit I was the worst when it came to applying sunscreen of any kind, I could never stand the thick, white almost toothpaste-like texture on my skin, now, brands have put a lot of money and research into their products and there has been a huge change and we are spoilt for choice.
I absolutely love Temple Spa products, their Cleansing Melt is one of my favourite products. I was kindly sent the new Temple Spa Life Defence SPF30 Protecting Moisturiser to try, and I’ve been testing it over the last few weeks and it is described as being a:
Feather-light daily moisturiser with a broad-spectrum SPF 30 and blue light protection to help protect against the environment, sun, wind, pollution, aircon, heating & digital screens.
Life Defence SPF30 Protecting Moisturiser from Temple Spa has been designed for use on clean skin or over your moisturiser and can be re-applied when out and about for long periods of exposure to the elements. There is always quite a lot to factor in when it comes to protecting your skin, ultimately, I am not too sure I believe we can protect it from absolutely everything, but I am willing to do whatever I can to ensure I get the absolute best protection I can. For me, I started with the basics and that was knowing the difference between UVA and UVB. UVA light accounts for about 95% of the UV light that reaches our skin and are around every single day of the year, whether or not it is hot - as long as there is daylight, there is UVA light. UVA light can also penetrate glass, so sitting by the window or being in the car can also cause damage to your skin. UVA rays are the ones which penetrate deeply into the skin causing havoc within all levels of the epidermis and can result in premature ageing of the skin as well as deep lines and wrinkles. UVB rays are the ones which you might associate mostly with tanning, sunburn and other discolourations to the skin and when purchasing your suncream, the SPF rating measures UVB rays. For the record - wearing an SPF does not stop you from 'tanning', one of the comments I see bounded around quite a lot!
So when it comes to wearing an SPF on my face, I have said in quite a few posts now that I really do not like overly thick creams that leave your skin feeling as though it is caked in lard, I prefer something that has more of a fluid-like texture to it. This moisturiser, which is white in colour, has a lightweight lotion texture to it and because the tube is squeezy, you literally need a small amount to cover your face, neck and decolletage. On the skin, it absorbs really quickly and I love that there is no whit trace left behind. I have also found it doesn't affect my makeup, it doesn't leave my skin looking sweaty or greasy.
One thing I love about Temple Spa is that they include ingredients for a reason, in this case, we have
- Organic Ginseng Root Extract Derived from the roots of the Withania somnifera plant, it is clinically proven to protect against digital pollution – blue, red and green light exposure (from all forms of screens: iPads, phones, computers). These light rays cause additional environmental stress to the mitochondria cells in our skin which play a key role in maintaining healthy skin cells. Additionally, boosted by amino acids and withanolides, the synergetic action of these two phytochemical families supports ginseng’s high level of efficacy and restores the skin’s vitality.
- Rocket Extract Rich in isothiocyanates, which help to counter the effects of free radicals, it also has powerful soothing, anti-redness, anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
- Vitamin E An antioxidant ingredient which helps protect cells from damage and environmental pollutants, slowing down the ageing process.
- Glyceryl Stearate A powerful skin-protecting ingredient which forms a barrier on the skin surface, slowing down the loss of water and giving the skin a soft & smooth appearance
I know there is still some scepticism out there with regards to blue light damage and admittedly, I am only just learning more about it, that said, the last time I went to my opticians to have my eyes tested, the recommendation was to have the Blue Light Protective Shield on my glasses, so if she is telling me I need it, then I need it.
Life Defence has been a great addition to my skincare routine, it is suitable for all skin types and whether you are a city dweller, sports lover, the outdoor type, digitally obsessed or even just want to do as much as you can to protect your skin, then this is a really good product to try. It costs £38 for 50ml and can be purchased from Temple Spa and Harrods.
*this post contains PR samples and/or Affiliate Links unless indicated otherwise - you can learn more on my Disclaimer page.