The real luxury of summer: protecting your skin

Sun protection is also a beauty story.

For my first swim of the summer, I brought protection for my skin and hair, along with a NUXE fragrance that instantly recalls summers past. The Reel is about sensory memory as much as it is about a pharmacist's conviction: pleasure and protection need not be opposites.

Visible facial ageing is not only about the passage of time. Ultraviolet exposure contributes to some changes. In an Australian randomised trial of 903 adults followed for four and a half years, the group assigned to daily broad-spectrum sunscreen showed less measured progression of photoageing than those asked to use it at their discretion. The study has limitations, but supports a simple repeated action rather than a spectacular cosmetic promise. [1]

A follow-up of the Nambour trial observed fewer invasive melanomas in the daily-use group. Events were few, and the difference for all melanomas was less certain. That result deserves careful interpretation, not an absolute slogan. [2]

SPF is not permission to stay in the sun longer.

A protective approach begins with shade and clothing, then adds broad-spectrum sunscreen to exposed skin. The World Health Organization recommends SPF 30 or higher, applied generously and renewed about every two hours, especially after swimming, sweating or exercise. No sunscreen blocks all UV radiation or replaces the other measures. [3]

Choosing a texture you enjoy is practical: you may be more likely to use it. But fragrance, a golden sheen and a beautiful bottle do not tell you the level of protection or whether you applied enough.

A ritual can be both sensual and precise.

The Reel holds the feeling of summer as well as its essentials. We can enjoy the sea, fragrance and light without turning unprotected exposure into a beauty ideal. Before going outside, ask where you will find shade, clothing and sunscreen. Let the scent of summer remain a memory—not scientific evidence.