Sure, lying out and cultivating that perfect tan
seems worthwhile in the moment, but down the road, is that bronze hue you seek
really worth the appearance of crow’s feet and fine lines? And prolonged and/or
unprotected exposure to the sun also puts you at risk for skin cancer and
melanoma.
A lot of this may seem old hat, but consider the
following surprising statistics:“Forty percent of Americans do not wear sunscreen.” (1)
“One in five Americans will get some form of skin cancer-men especially, since they don't use makeup and moisturizers with SPF like women do.” (2)
“Twenty-seven
percent of parents with kids under twelve years old say they never or only sometimes
apply sunscreen on their kids when they're outside for 2 to 4 hours. And 14
percent say they don't even apply sunscreen on their kids when they're outside
for more than four hours." (2)
“The regular application of sunscreen with a sun protection factor of 15 or more during a 5-year treatment period reduced the incidence of new primary melanomas during a subsequent 10-year follow-up period, report the [Australian] study authors.” (3)
“You should
never apply self-tanner before going out into the sun, unless you use a
sunscreen first. Most self-tanners work by using dihydroxyacetone (DHA) as the
main ingredient. According to a 2007 study published in Germany, DHA causes the skin to release
180% more free radicals once exposed to the sun. Therefore sun protection is
extremely important when you have used self-tanners containing DHA within the
past 24 hours.” (4)
“According to dermatologist Jessica Wu, M.D.,
on her Everyday Health blog, ‘Up to 84 percent of UV rays can bounce off the
sand and water, and reach you even under the umbrella.’ So, even if you’re
sitting under an umbrella, be sure to reapply your sunscreen every two hours –
or sooner, if you’re sweating or swimming.” (5)“Most of us don’t think twice about walking to the mailbox or sitting by a window at work without having sunscreen on. But this kind of incidental exposure can still be damaging – and we actually get lots of it. In fact, the amount of incidental exposure we get can be considered a part-time job. According to Prevention, the average person gets 14 hours of exposure per week!” (6)
I don’t know about you, but finding out some of the
above was very eye-opening for this blogger. Want to become more sun and skin
savvy? Check out some relevant titles we
have in the library catalog!
The Beauty Bible: From Acne to Wrinkles and Everything in Between: Every Woman's Skin-Care and Makeup Application Guide by Paula Begoun
Face Care: The Plan for Looking Younger Longer by Gerald Imber, M.D. and Stephen Brill Kurtin, M.D.
The New Science of Perfect Skin: Understanding Skin Care Myths and Miracles for Radiant Skin at Any Age by Daniel B. Yarosh
Skin Secrets: The Medical Facts versus the Beauty Fiction by Nicholas Lowe and Polly Sellar
Skin Wise: A Guide to Healthy Skin for Women edited by Annette Callan
| Total Skin: The Definitive Guide to Skin Health for Life by David J. Leffell _______________________________________________ (1) http://shine.yahoo.com/travel/10-surprising-sun-care-facts-you-need-to-know-1289910.html (2) http://www.momsteam.com/health-safety/consumer-reports-poll-27-parents-kids-under-12-apply-sunscreen-rarely-never (3) http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/736233 (4) http://www.temptalia.com/5-surprising-skincare-facts-you-didnt-know-until-now (5)http://www.skincare-news.com/a-7341-Practicing_Smart_Sun_Care_With_These_10_Lesser-Known_Facts.aspx |
