SPF by Number, Truth About What You Really Need Will Change the Way You Shop

Memorial Day Weekend marks the unofficial start of summer so before you begin frolicking in the sun (if you live anywhere near NYC, we can thank Mother Nature for raining on our parade, literally), you need to read this.  The drugstore shelves are full of SPF options that range with numbers going up to 100+.  This post will change the way you shop and keep money in your pockets.  I spoke with DDF Founder and NYC dermatologist, Dr. Sobel, to find out what you really need. What level of SPF should I use?

Sunscreens with SPF 15 or greater should always be applied to the skin daily. Be sure to pick a sunscreen that provides broad-spectrum protection against harmful both UVB rays that contribute to damaging outer skin layers, or receiving a sunburn, and UVA rays that damage deeper layers of the skin contributing to fine lines and wrinkles. If you’re hitting the beach, I recommend increasing your protection to an SPF of at least 30 and be sure to reapply every two hours.

How effective is sunscreen with SPF 50+?

The SPF rating measures the time it would take you to sunburn if you were not wearing sunscreen as opposed to the time it would take with sunscreen on. SPF 15 blocks about 93% of the sun’s rays, while SPF 30 blocks 97% and SPF 45 blocks 98%, so doubling the number and applying SPF 50 or higher doesn’t double your skin’s protection and none offer 100% protection.

There you have it.  An SPF of 30 with UVA & UVB protection that's water resistant is all you need.  Don't be fooled by marketing.  The higher the SPF, the higher the price tag.  Don't forget to reapply every two hours and have a great summer!

The Results Are In! The Skincare Products I'm Loving Right Now

Back in February I posted about taking a trip to Sephora to have my skin analyzed by DDF's Skin Evaluation System.  Of course I knew I was fighting fine lines and had some discoloration, but what I found out was that my main concern should be my pores!  Since then, I've been testing a variety of DDF skincare products (never mind being super self conscious about my ugly pores) and had to share the results. By far the one that's been making the most difference for my skin is the Wrinkle Resist Plus Pore Minimizer Moisturizing Serum.  As soon as I put it on it was like the Angels came down and sang from Heaven.  Thanks to the silicone, my pores were instantly non-existant.  Granted, it rids pores just for the time being, but for that I apply it daily after I wash my face and before I put on my moisturizer.  It's really light weight and it also has a cocktail of Vitamins to help reduce fine lines and wrinkles over time.

Another product I'm really impressed with is their Revolve 400x.  As an avid Clarisonic user, I was skeptical to use something else, but hey, that's my job.  It comes with two different brush heads.  One to act as a microdermabrasion treatment and the other is for deep cleansing, which I use almost every day.  I like that it has two different strengths and feel so fresh faced after doing an at-home microdermabrasion.  When I met with Giulianna Rancic in February this was her favorite DDF product and she has awesome skin.

*This is a sponsored post, but my opinions and actions are honest.

Giuliana Rancic and I Talk Career, Beauty and Men

Last Friday I attended a private cocktail party in a suite at the W Hotel in Hollywood with Giuliana Rancic on behalf of DDF skincare.  Picture eight members of the media, Giuliana, her manager (and BFF) and two DDF publicists, it was that intimate.  Now I've met her before, but never really got to know her.  An hour and a half later, she showed me pics of her three Oscar dresses (one for E!'s Fashion Police), chatted about her crush (George Clooney), found out the secrets behind her skincare insecurities and regimen and of course, where she gets her hair extensions done.  What impressed me most?  She's one of the most honest and grounded people in Hollywood. Career

Rancic explained there are two types of actors in Hollywood – those who are a celebrity in every aspect of what they do and those who consider it their job.  She is a business woman.  Hosting and the empire she built is all her job, but she doesn't let it define her at the end of the day.  "I'm true to who I am in all aspects of what I do," she says.  "I'm a business person and a normal person in the industry."  In it for all of the right reasons, when overwhelmed she often takes a step back and reminds herself, "I'm not digging a ditch, I'm reporting on Brad Pitt."

Skincare

She's been using DDF skincare religiously for years and approached the brand about becoming the spokesperson.  "When they asked me to go foundation free at the Emmys last year it was a struggle," Rancic explains.  "My makeup artist and I played with different strategies so I would still look done under the red carpet lights."  Weeks leading up to the big day, they experimented on E! News with tinted moisturizer.  "If your skin can look gorgeous without foundation and a ton of makeup then you succeeded."

George Clooney

Balancing professionalism with her crush on Clooney has never been an easy task.  She confessed that when she started at E! she promised herself not to ask to interview him (even though she was dying to), but to let her producers assign it to her.  About ten years ago, when the day came she had eight minutes with him. "The whole time he was talking all I can hear in my head was, 'Will you marry me,'" Rancic laughed.  At the end of the interview she asked!  His reply, "The word 'marriage' sends sweat beads down my back."  Turns out, Rancic got kudos from the E! producers for getting Clooney to discuss the topic of commitment!

Relationship

"Bill and I know what's at the core of everything," she states.  "First and foremost were best friends and husband and wife and all of the craziness is for a common goal.  If we ride the wave now, one day it will all pay off and we can relax."  After the Oscars they were planning on heading to Cabo to relax with four other couples.

Cancer

"You can't control what life hands you, you can only control how you handle it," she says.  Filling her life with positivity, she's doing just fine.

Do Your Skin A Favor & Give Yourself A Reality Check with DDF at Sephora

In between shows this week I stopped by Sephora in Columbus Circle to check out DDF's new Skin Evaluation System.  It's an iPhone app that only professionally trained sales assistants at Sephora can use to give customers skin diagnosises comprable to ones you'd receive in a derms office.  Skeptical at first (Do I really trust the accuracy of an app when it comes to my skin?), I met with Roy Galifi, a Retail Executive for Procter & Gamble who's worked with DDF for years, and surrendered my face to the dermascope.  Here's what I found out... My skin is older than I am!  Thank you to my college self who thought it was a great idea to bake in tanning beds every single day.  He used an iPhone and went through a series of questions about my skincare concerns addressing aging, sensitivity, pores, oil, dryness, etc. and then proceeded to put a dermascope (microscopic camera that attaches to the iPhone and magnifies your skin 25x) up to different areas of my skin and take photos.

That part was a nightmare! He took close up photos with the device of my crows feet, pores on my nose and cheek and then compared each photo with photos that were rated one through five.  My crows feet scored a three out of five (five being the worst, ladies), pores scored a four out of five (why are my pores humungous!?) and texture scored a three out of five, but I think he was just being nice there as I would have given it a four.

After the survey was completed and photo grading torture was over, he printed out my skin assessment results, which proved that my pores should be my main concern, when I thought it was my fine lines and wrinkles (they ranked second).  To help ease my mind, he recommended a DDF regimen that would help with my true problems and I'm beginning it tonight!

"People come into Sephora with preconceived notions of what they need," Galifi commented.  "DDF isn't diagnosing with this app, but we're getting to root of problems with this evaluating tool."  For example, many people believe they have sensitive skin, but what may really be the issue is that they have a sensitivity to an ingredient in a product they're using.

Interested in having your skin analyzed?  Check out DDF's Facebook page or DDF online to see which Sephora's are holding assessment events.  It surely was a reality check for me!

*This is a sponsored post, but all of my actions and thoughts are honest.