Did you know what is applied to the skin (sunscreen, for example) and its ingredients are just as important as what is ingested?

Skin absorbs much of what is topically applied. The recent focus on organic ingredients and trend in wellness has led many experts to support the use of vegan and/or gluten-free products.

According to Dr. Richie Lin, quick errands or even the walk from the store to your car can put the skin at risk from the sun's rays. He recommends utilizing a vegan sunscreen such as Trufora Titanium Day Cream SPF 30.

"Vegan products are safe for us, safe for the environment and are cruelty-free. Many work just as well as any other product, so the choice is often simple," says Lin, a dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon.

Quality, purity and safety of ingredients is a critical component to the efficacy and tolerability of skincare products. In brands that use animal-derived ingredients, quality control and source purity can be very hard to establish and many potential health risks can arise. By using only vegan ingredients, Trufora sunscreen is able to guarantee the purity and safety of its ingredients and formulations, CEO Sara Sweeney tells us.

Another important health booster? Staying active. "Patients don't always realize the benefit of a fitness plan aside from the physical benefit," says Lin. Sweat loosens dirt from pores and even increases and stimulates healthy circulation, he notes.
 
And if you forget to apply sunscreen, you can get reinforcement on why you should from the interactive app My Skin Authority, which provides digital advice on skin safety, giving users access to skin care expertise at any time and from any location. 

This new app acts as an extension of My Skin Authority's existing coaching model, which last year served more than half a million people digitally via phone, e-mail, FaceTime and Skype.

 "There are two ways to work with the coaches: if you don't have time to talk, they can quickly build a skin care routine based on an online profile; or they can chat live via phone, FaceTime," says app creator Celeste Hilling. "We are harnessing the power of everyone having a mobile device in their hand and showcasing the personal touch that brings. It's all about connecting the consumer with the skin care professional, not disconnecting them."

My Skin Authority is a free download at the Apple App Store and on Google Play.

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