We talked skincare with Dr. Lisa Kellett of DLK on Avenue, a popular skin care facility in Yorkville, Toronto. She gave us 10 ways to keep your skin safe during the summer months.

11/30 Prevention is better than cure
“It’s better to prevent than to treat. For example, I can treat skin cancer by doing [an] incision but it’s better for the patient to prevent skin cancer on their own. Use UV to protect your skin.”

12/30 Avoid peak sun time
“Practice avoidance from 10am-4pm and seek shade when you can whenever you’re outside. Try wearing a hat and sun protective clothing and wear sunblock.”

13/30 What you wear helps
“What you’re looking for is SPF of 30 or higher (30 is fine) UVA and UVB protection. Decide what kind of formulation you prefer. I find that clear sunblock is preferred by men and children. They’re not greasy, they don’t run and they’re invisible; a nice option for anyone who’s prone to acne.”

14/30 That ‘summer glow’ doesn’t exist
“You don’t have to get the ‘glow’. We have to educate the public: a tan is the skin’s response to injury. You’ve damaged the skin.”

15/30 Good skin comes from care
“People who are prominent in the media are always pale like Nicole Kidman, Madonna and Julianne Moore…they are never tanned. Getting people thinking about that and understanding that a tan is not a viable thing to have is so important.”

16/30 However if you feel you need a little colour
“We suggest doing things like fake tanning. Spray tanning works. Or you can go to the drugstore and get a topical [tanning lotion]…there are so many options.”

17/30 Curing a sunburn is pretty simple
“Take an aspirin or anti-inflammatory and apply a topical vitamin c which is an antioxidant and get out of the sun.”

18/30 But if it persists…
“They should see a dermatologist and you can get prescription medication to help.”

19/30 Repairing your skin after the summer months is important
“Look at using a topical Vitamin A 1% retinol or higher to repair the skin.”

20/30 Get rid of that dead skin!
“…look at removing the dead skin with a self peel, or an urban laser peel, that can remove the dead skin cells to [facilitate] collagen regeneration.”