CeraVe, a dermatologist-recommended skincare brand in the United States, hit the streets of New Orleans with some of social media's biggest dermatologists and top content creators including Dude with Sign, Dudette with Sign and Avani Gregg, to launch the #21DaysofSPF Challenge. 

 

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, exposure to UV rays is the most preventable risk factor when it comes to skin cancer, which is why dermatologists recommend using sunscreen every day. Since it is widely believed that committing for 21 days can help form a new habit, these skin experts and influential voices are joining CeraVe to help consumers make sunscreen application a daily habit for healthier skin.

The New Orleans parade featured two of the internet's beloved truth-tellers, Dude with Sign and Dudette with Sign, who joined over 50 of social media's most-followed dermatologists for the parade in the French Quarter. Starting at the historic Jackson Square, a float built with larger-than-life components reminded passersby to “Wear SPF” as noted on signs being carried. Along the way, dermatologists strutted the streets with fun signs featuring dermatologist-approved sun-safe skin advice to further amplify the moment including “Drink Water. Wear SPF. Be Nice;” “FYI: Your Daily Moisturizer Needs SPF;” and “People Need to Listen to Dermatologists.” 

 

According to skin care professionals, all sun exposure, indirect or unintentional, can impact the skin. In fact, according to the International Ultraviolet Association, normal glass (as used in windows) is transparent to UV radiation, so almost all UVA light will pass through glass, including car windows. Yet, a recent CeraVe survey of Americans showed that sitting near windows is one of the moments where they are least likely to apply sunscreen, with 29% citing when working indoors by a window and 28% while driving – two different behaviors that expose skin to UV rays. The same survey found that 23% say they are least likely to apply sunscreen when it is cloudy, and a whopping 64% even admitted they don't think they need to wear sunscreen every day. However, like brushing teeth, it's critical to apply daily for optimal skin health, doctors advise.

 

“Wearing sunscreen every day is one of the easiest, yet most important ways to keep skin healthy, but it is often overlooked as a regular step in a skincare routine, particularly when it is not a hot, sunny day,” said board-certified dermatologist Dr. Nkem Ugonabo, M.D., M.P.H. “Regardless of the season, weather, location or activities, applying SPF daily is essential to help protect skin from UV exposure, which will have both short- and long-term benefits for the skin. This can be as simple as incorporating CeraVe's moisturizer with broad-spectrum SPF 30 into a skincare routine each morning.”

A clinical L'Oréal study released in the Journal of Drugs in Dermatology found that daily sun exposure not only damages skin cells, but also significantly reduces the level of ceramide in the skin and impairs the quality of essential ceramides 1, 3 and 6-II in the skin barrier. Ceramides, which are lipids found in the skin barrier, are a critical component of skin barrier protection, making CeraVe AM Facial Moisturizing Lotion a key to a healthy morning skincare routine. Enriched with these essential ceramides and hyaluronic acid for hydration, this broad-spectrum sunscreen helps protect from short-term and long-term damage caused by exposure to UV rays, while simultaneously hydrating and restoring the skin barrier.

 

“As part of our commitment to providing therapeutic skincare for all, CeraVe is making dermatological advice more accessible and digestible so that everyone has the tools they need for achieving healthy skin,” said Gene Colón, global senior vice president, medical relations & communications for CeraVe at L'Oréal. “Dermatologists are both our biggest advocates and the most trusted resources for consumers, so by pairing them with some of the internet's most popular names, we are expanding our reach of critical sun care education and ultimately, helping people improve their daily skincare habits for healthier skin.”