Living in a tropical country has its obvious benefits: dressing for two seasons instead of four, access to some of the best beaches in the world, and a near constant humidity that helps keep skin moist and supple longer.

The sun, however, can pose huge problems like uneven skintone and wrinkles or, worse, skin cancer. It is during these summer months that stores drum up interest in their sun protection products.

“At Watsons, we’ve been holding summer campaigns for several years now,” Aimee Pernia, senior category manager for skin, said. “There’s a definite spike in sales across all sun care lines, although using these products should already be part of everyone’s daily regimen.”

Pernia said the quality and formats of the products available now are far different from the ones used by our parents. There are lotions, powders, shampoos, hair conditioners, and moisturizers that are formulated with sun protection.

For daily use

“They’re designed to be used on a daily basis. The lotions moisturize while giving the added benefit of protection from the sun’s harmful rays,” she said.

At the launch of this year’s campaign, “Love the Sun,” held at the atrium of SM Mall of Asia, skincare and hair care brands showed off their newest product ranges.

There were limited-edition hair conditioners like the ones from Pantene and Cream Silk that provide protection and impart a long-lasting fragrance while sunblocks came in liquid, cream and spray formats.

There were a couple of sunblocks with SPF 150, although one should still reapply ideally every couple of hours or after toweling off.

SPF or sun protection factor refers to the theoretical amount of time one can stay in the sun without getting sunburned. An SPF 15 would allow one to stay in the sun 15 times longer that one could without protection.

At Watsons, there are even products one can apply to skin and hair after sun exposure to help soothe and condition.

Sun care options

“There are really many options now,” Pernia said.

Cristalle Belo-Pitt, one of the guest speakers that afternoon, agreed. The managing director of the Belo Medical Group and Intelligent Skin Care, Inc. (Belo Essentials) narrated how she and her mother, Vicki Belo, decided to create their own sun protection line in 2010.

“When we were younger, she always reminded us to apply sunblock when we went out, but she was never satisfied with the quality of the products available then,” Belo-Pitt said.

When they came out with Belo Essentials eight years ago, it was well-received and began winning awards year after year.

“Sunblock is the cheapest antiaging product,” she said. “Don’t wait for the dark spots to come out.”

Participating brands in Watsons’ “Love the Sun” campaign include Nivea, Belo, Banana Boat, Sunplay, Bioré, Dermplus, Kojie San, Neutrogena, Solstice, Beach Hut, Hawaiian Tropic, Cetaphil, Olay, Ponds, Snow, Celeteque, Thiocell, Shiro, Gluta-C, L’Oreal, Vaseline, Creamsilk, Pantene, Vitress, Veet, Lactacyd, Dentiste, Chic, Bobbie and Body Fantasies.

All SM Advantage Card (SMAC) members have the chance to win a trip for four to any of the following destinations: Japan, Korea, Thailand, Taiwan or Hong Kong. Every P500 single-receipt purchase of participating products is equivalent to one e-raffle entry.

By Raoul J. Chee Kee

ADVT