The 80-20 Rule on Ageless Skin

What’s the one thing you do for your skin that generates the most results? The answer is so simple. However, I can’t tell you the secret just now, because without explaining this important rule of life, you probably wouldn’t do it.

If you’ve studied business or economics, you’re well familiar with the power of the Pareto Principle. It is also called the 80-20 Rule.

Pareto was born in Italy in 1848. He would go on to become an important philosopher and economist. One day he noticed that 20% of the pea plants in his garden generate 80% of the healthy pea pods. This observation caused him to think about uneven distribution. He thought about wealth and discovered that 80% of the land in Italy was owned by just 20% of the population. He investigated different industries and found that 80% of production typically came from just 20% of the companies.

The 80-20 rule is the principle that 80% of your outcomes result from just 20% of your inputs. The 80-20 rule is a timeless rule of life that’s all about focus. Most importantly, the 80-20 rule requires you to throw out a few time-honored myths:

First, the myth that everything matters equally – it doesn’t. Break down that wall and prioritize.

Second, the myth of multitasking: When you try to focus on everything at once, you end up not truly focusing on anything at all.

The 80-20 rule works perfectly in skin health where the industry focuses so much on lotions, potions, detox, serums, lasers, and botox. But are they the most important factor in ageless glowing skin?

If you ask any dermatologist or esthetician - if they can make only one recommendation, what would that be? Try that! And I bet any ethical practitioner would give the same answer: sunscreen! In our lives, the most powerful force is the one that is invisible. In this case, the force that hurts your skin the most is UV light!

The best skin advice I have ever received and I will give: wear SPF50+ sunscreen every day, rain or shine!

Here’s why:

1. UV light can kill skin cells by damaging their DNA, potentially causing skin cancers.

2. UV light causes cell mutation by generating Reactive Oxygen Species (ROS), which contributes to aging.

3. UV light makes your body produce extra melanin (a type of pigment) that can clump in patches and form dark spots.

4. UVA even penetrates through windows and clouds.

Some people worry that they won't get enough Vitamin D if they apply sunscreen. Clinical studies currently believe, however, no matter how much sunscreen you apply, or no matter how high the SPF, some of the sun’s UV light reaches your skin. Your skin doesn't need a lot of UV light to produce adequate vitamin D and you can also get vitamin D from many food sources, such as wild salmon, cheese, and egg yolks.

Now you know the secret and the 80-20 rule, I hope you will be motivated to put on sunscreen every day! The difficulty is that a lot of sunscreens are oily and uncomfortable. And you probably have heard people talking about how you are supposed to apply it every 2 hours, that there are chemicals in sunscreen that are bad for you and the environment, physical sunscreen is better than the chemical ones, etc. Some are true, and some are total myths. The point is: remember the 80-20 rule! Put on comfortable sunscreen on your face/neck every day! That’s the simple thing that generates the most results. If you pick SPF 50+ and you don’t sweat or swim and do not stay under direct sunburn during the day, you don’t have to reapply it.

These are the two products I use personally (from Japan): they are so comfortable, nourishing, and very affordable. If you are looking for the sunscreen you would like to wear every day, consider giving them a try (Amazon link: right-click to open in a new tab)!