24/12/2025

LYFE WEDNESDAY | DEC 24, 2025

22

BEAUTY REVIEWS

Ű BY EE ANN NEE

Sunplay Skin Aqua Physical Sunscreen Tone Up Function: Physical sunscreen with SPF 50+ PA++++ broad-spectrum protection Ingredients: Zinc oxide reflects UVA & UVB rays. Ceramide, betaine, moringa seed oil, glycerin and rosa damascena flower oil hydrate, fortify the skin barrier and combat dryness. Directions: Apply before sun exposure. Reapply as needed, especially during outdoor activities, after perspiring or towelling. Pros: 0 Gentle, non-irritating formula – Crafted for sensitive, acne-prone and pregnant skin. Won’t clog pores or aggravate breakouts. 0 Instant glow-up effect – Natural pink tint brightens and evens skin tone, creating a soft, rosy radiance in just one swipe. 0 Smooth, lightweight texture that leaves no white cast or stickiness, ideal for layering under makeup or wearing alone. 0 Free from chemical UV filters, synthetic fragrance, alcohol, parabens, mineral oil and oxybenzone. 0 No cakey makeup, smooth finish – Stays comfortable on skin while ensuring makeup glides on without pilling or heaviness. Cons: High price point Price: RM84 (50ml) Rating: 4/5

Mentholatum Lip Perfector Serum Lip Gel – Vita Quad Function: Tinted lip serum that hydrates, repairs and rejuvenates lips from within. Ingredients: With Vitamins A, B5, C and E, this variant works to rejuvenate and restore youthful looking lips. Vitamins A and B5 hydrate and nourish lips while soothing dryness and discomfort, Vitamin C and E protect against oxidative damage to keep lips firm, smooth and youthful. Together, they repair chapped

lips and moisturise dry lips, leaving lips healthier, smoother and visibly brighter over time. Pros: 0 Mosturises dry lips, repairs chapped lips and provides anti oxidant protection. 0 Lightweight, silky texture that glides on effortlessly without feeling greasy or sticky. 0 Soft tint yet natural glow that enhances the lips while keeping them protected from dryness and environmental stressors. 0 Angled tip allows for precision and even coverage. Cons: Refreshing minty cherry scent smells like cough syrup. The minty sensation delivers a shocking tingle. Price: RM17.50 (8g) Rating: 2/5

Skinmade Skin Filter (Glowing and Balance sticks) Function: Four-in-one skin tech hybrid delivers skin protection, complexion confidence, barrier repair and antioxidant defense, all in one seamless solution. 0 The Glowing variant of Skin Filter is recommended for dull or dry skin types. 0 The Balance variant of Skin Filter is recommended for oily or acne-prone skin. Ingredients: 0 Iron oxides instantly even out skin tone and blur away the appearance of pores for a flawless, semi-matte finish, without any heavy feeling. 0 Glowing variant: Chromabright, lipid-soluble vitamin C (tetrahexyldecyl ascorbate), glutathione, licorice root extract and biofermented red ginseng work together to target dullness, uneven skin tone and discolouration while defending against oxidative stress. 0 Balance variant: Sepicontrol A5, potassium azeloyl diglycinate, salix alba bark extract, zinc

PCA and oligopeptide-10, which regulates oil, targets blemish-causing bacteria, refines skin texture and improves post-acne marks. 0 Phyto-exosome, ectoin, oat extract, shea butter and niacinamide are paired with Pre+Postbiotics to strengthen skin’s barrier and balance the microbiome. Directions: Swipe over skin and blend evenly with the built-in curved brush. Pros: 0 High performance four-in-one product that provides sun protection (SPF50+ PA++++), tinted coverage, skincare benefits and barrier strengthening all at once. 0 Portable stick format with built-in curved brush 0 Breathable and weightless finish 0 Good as last skincare step or for on-the-go touch-ups. 0 Comes in three shades: Cool, Neutral and Warm

Cons: High price point Price: RM110 (0.58oz) Rating: 4/5

Tanning beds triple skin cancer risk, study finds

WHEN Heidi Tarr was a teenager, she used a tanning bed several times a week with her friends because they all wanted to glow like a celebrity. “It was just the thing to do – everyone wanted that nice, dark, tan skin,” the 49-year-old market researcher told AFP via video call from Chicago. Then one day in her 30s, Tarr noticed a strange mole on her back. It was a melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer. She was lucky to have caught it early on, but has needed over a dozen biopsies to remove more moles. Now her 15-year-old daughter Olivia is seeing trending videos on TikTok of people showing off their tan lines – and is asking her mother how to get some. So Tarr was inspired to get yet another skin sample removed, this time to be used in research published in the journal Science Advances . The study found people who use tanning beds are nearly three times more at risk of getting skin cancer. It also marked the first time researchers have pinpointed how sunbeds cause DNA mutations in the skin that make users more susceptible to cancer. More than 80% of the most common melanomas are caused by exposure to ultraviolet radiation, according to the World Health

80s,” study co-author Bishal Tandukar said in a statement. It needs to be banned Melanoma killed almost 60,000 people worldwide in 2022, according to the IARC, which classifies tanning beds in its highest level of cancer risk alongside smoking and asbestos. A few countries completely ban tanning beds, such as Australia and Brazil. In others, including the UK and France, they are prohibited for people under 18. In the US, it depends on the state. “At the very minimum, it needs to be banned for minors,” Gerami emphasised. There have also been fears that young people sharing their tanning goals on social media could be driving a new generation towards sunbeds. “For those who might be thinking about using a tanning bed – or for parents who might be thinking of letting their teenagers use a tanning bed – I just would extremely recommend: don’t use them,” Tarr said. She recommended that people who have used the beds regularly inspect their skin and consider seeing a dermatologist for a proper check. And if you are looking for that tanned look, try a lotion or spray tan, Tarr added.

Organisation’s International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC). These rays are created naturally by the sun – or artificially by tanning beds. Skin cell damage Pedram Gerami, a dermatologist and researcher at Northwestern University in Illinois, said he started looking into this subject after an “unusually” high number of younger women came into his clinic with multiple melanomas. The cancer was also on parts of their bodies normally “relatively protected from the sun”, said the study’s author. His team compared the medical records from 3,000 people who used tanning beds to those of similarly aged people who had not. Melanoma was diagnosed in 5% of the tanning bed users, compared to 2% of the other group, the study said. After adjusting for a variety of factors such as age, sunburn history and family history, the researchers estimated tanning bed users were nearly 2.9 times more at risk of getting a melanoma. Tanning bed users were also more likely to develop melanoma on parts of their body that are normally shielded from the sun, such as the lower back and buttocks.

Tarr being examined by dermatologist Gerami at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, US. – AFPPIC

The researchers found the melanocytes of tanning bed users had nearly twice as many mutations. “If you’re already halfway there in a lot of your skin, it doesn’t take much additional damage to get to melanoma,” Gerami said. “Tanning bed users in their 30s and 40s had even more mutations than people in the general population who were in their 70s and

The researchers also sought to find out how much damage tanning beds do to the DNA of skin cells, because it can build up into cancer. They sequenced 182 biopsies, including one from Gerami’s patient Tarr. New technology was used to specifically look at melanocytes, which are rarer skin cells that create moles – or melanoma.