With the August bank holiday just around the corner, Britons are preparing to soak up the last of the summer sunshine – or escape on a last-minute getaway. But according to Deborah Mitchell, Queen Camilla’s long-time beauty therapist, getting it wrong when it comes to sun care can leave skin badly damaged.
With decades of experience and a recently awarded Royal Warrant, Deborah’s expertise is trusted at the very highest level. Queen Camilla has long relied on her advice, giving her seal of approval to Heaven Skincare’s groundbreaking innovations.
Speaking exclusively to the Daily Express, Deborah shared her summer skincare secrets – tips she says are fit not just for royalty, but for anyone hoping to keep their skin youthful, protected and glowing this bank holiday.
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Here are her expert tips on how to protect skin in both sunshine and cloud cover:
“It is really important to wear sun protection on your face,” she explained.
No matter the weather or your age, Deborah stressed the importance of using SPF all year round.
We’re not only exposed to direct sunlight, but also to glare from technology such as phones and laptops. Yet she said many people still forget to apply it when the skies are grey.
“When it is full sun you know you should put something on. When it is cloudy you think you shouldn’t, but the sun gets through the cloud and hits the cloud and burns you more than pure sun as it bounces off the light. It burns and ages you faster.”
Deborah also revealed a lesser-known tip involving sunglasses. “Sunglasses bounce the light off the glass, and can cause complex skin issues. You need to be very aware of the light bouncing. Light bouncing is stronger than the rest of the light coming down.”
And when it comes to vitamin D, timing is everything.
She said: “Don’t put your sunglasses on for about 10–15 minutes to activate vitamin D. If you put your sunglasses on straight away your skin won’t take up the vitamin D as well as if you leave them off for a little bit.”
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She also warns against staying out unprotected for too long. “When you go out in the sun without a sun factor on your face, body – you can only stay in the sun until your skin tingles.”
She continued, “And that tingle is an infrared radiation but it is cooking your skin. You have to come away from the cooked skin.”
Still, Deborah believes her latest sun care innovations, Prism Protection SPF, would make a big difference. “If you are out with friends and in the sun, or playing a sport like riding a horse, you are doing something where you cannot get away from the sun, this is absolutely ideal as you will not burn, you will not damage the skin – you will only make it look younger.”
For those already worrying about the toll taken by years of sun exposure, Deborah offers reassurance,“Women are learning that they need to look after their skin,” she said.
Before adding that it is “important” to try to repair the skin by using moisturisers and products that contain hyaluronic acid, which help lock in hydration and smooth out fine lines.
Consistent use of the right formulas, Deborah explained, can improve the skin’s appearance over time and help reverse some of the visible effects of damage from earlier years.
