Most of us know the importance of wearing sunscreen in the summer months to avoid sunburn and damage, but it really should be a year-round preventative health measure. Whether you’re walking to the shops, pottering in the garden or on the golf course, you should always wear sunscreen, no matter what your skin colour or tone.

On an overcast day up to 80 percent of the sun’s rays can still pass through clouds, so daily sun protection is essential and is an accepted feature within day creams for all ages.

Sunscreen isn’t a new revelation, it dates back to ancient Egypt, where Rice bran extract and Jasmine were used to help shield skin from the sun.(1) More recently, other natural ingredients such as Purified Bee Venom (PBV™) have proven to have a photoprotective effect on the skin to prevent skin damage caused by prolonged sun exposure. (2)

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, regular daily use of SPF 15 sunscreen can reduce your risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by about 40 percent and lower your melanoma risk by 50 percent. (3) Not only does sunscreen reduce your risk of skin cancer, it helps to prevent premature skin ageing caused by the sun, including wrinkles, sagging and age spots.

Choose a Day Cream with at least an SPF15 for general use. The Manuka Doctor age-defying Day Cream with added SPF protection for everyday use, refines the look of fine lines whilst nourishing and restoring skin’s softness. It’s not just the SPF within the Day Cream formula that can help to protect the skin from UVA and UVB exposure. Wonder ingredient from the hive Purified Bee Venom (PBV™) also works on all levels of the skin to encourage naturally occurring cell regeneration, boost collagen formation increasing skin’s elasticity and accelerate the recovery of damaged skin cells. (4)

“The buzz around bee venom has been big for a few years now with fans said to include Gwyneth Paltrow and the Duchess of Cambridge, thanks to its collagen-boosting qualities. This nourishing SPF15 day cream is rich yet non-greasy and easily absorbed. It smells good enough to eat, but resist the urge – it’s your skin that needs to feast on this gorgeous cream! Nourishing ingredients also include royal jelly, manuka honey, shea butter and vitamin E.”

“I love this cream it’s light and easy to wear under makeup. I also use the night cream and the two help my skin stay smooth and wrinkle free. I changed quite a while ago from another known brand and now wouldn’t go back.”

Thanks to the highly moisturising properties of Manuka honey, the revitalising Manuka Doctor Day Cream and winner of Healthy magazine’s Best Skincare Product, leaves skin glowingly soft and naturally plumped. Cell regenerating Royal jelly rejuvenates skin by renewing damaged skin cells and boosting skin’s radiance, whilst hydrating Shea butter and vitamin E moisturise and smooth the complexion for younger looking skin.

Dr Michelle Braude Medical Doctor, Nutritionist, Author and Founder of THE FOOD EFFECT Nutrition Practice is an advocate of beauty from within but also knows there are many other ways that you can take care of your skin and reduce the signs of ageing.

“The Manuka Doctor Day Cream is my go-to moisturiser and one of my favourite products, as it specifically targets those pesky fine lines and offers a generous amount of hydration at the same time, due to the incredible moisturising properties of Manuka honey.”

“As well as what we consume, we should all aim to look after our skin from the outside too, so using a daily SPF is so important in protecting our faces from the Sun - and keeping ourselves looking youthful for longer! The Manuka Doctor Day Cream has SPF15 which is perfect to use all year round.”

“Collagen has been a hot topic in the supplement industry for a while now and it’s great to see it filtering through into skincare. The collagen-boosting Purified Bee Venom (PBV™️) used in this product works to reduce the appearance of wrinkles as well as offering extra protection from ultraviolet B (UVB) rays!”

It’s not just wrinkles that are a result of over exposure to the sun damage, UV rays can cause discolouration of the skin leading to dark spots also known as pigmentation. Studies show that those below age 55 who apply sunscreen regularly have 24 percent less chance of developing these signs of ageing than those who don’t. (5)

The Manuka Doctor Brightening Oil contains anti-oxidant rich oils to help protect against oxidative damage, whilst deeply nourishing essential oils visibly promote skin’s flexibility. In a clinical trial, 30 women aged between 50 and 75 years old tested the Brightening Oil twice daily for 28 days. They were assessed twice, once 15 minutes after they first used the product, and again after 28 days of continuous use. In the short term, 77 per cent of the women in the trial reported an improvement in overall skin appearance, skin smoothness and evenness, all after just 15 minutes. In the longer term, after 28 days, 70 per cent of the women said they had continued to see positive effects on their skin including the reduction of age spots. (6) Apply directly to your skin as the last step in your regime or add a few drops to your day or night cream and apply.

“After using this product on one quite dark age/sun damage spot above my eyebrow, for approx three weeks, I can really notice a difference in this mark and it has definitely faded! I will continue using in the hope it fades some more!! First product I have found that actually works for this skin problem.”

References:

1. https://ehe.health/blog/always-wear-sunscreen/
2. Han et al., 2007 Inhibitory effects of bee venom against ultraviolet B induced MMP-1 and MMP-3 in human dermal fibroblasts. J, of Apicultural Bee Research 46(2):94-98
3. https://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-prevention/sun-protection/sunscreen/
4. Han et al., 2015 The beneficial effects of honeybee-venom serum on facial wrinkles in humans.
5. https://ehe.health/blog/always-wear-sunscreen/
6. Clinical trial study data collected independently by Derma Consult on behalf of Manuka Doctor