Sun Safety Initiative
A recent poll by the research company GfK Roper showed that 58 percent of people are concerned today about skin cancer. Yet only 11 percent of people use an SPF 15 or higher daily. Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon. The risk of melanoma, the deadliest form of skin cancer, increases by 75 percent when you use tanning beds before the age of 30. One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in the course of a lifetime.
All of our sunless tanners are available in regular and extreme formulas! Our regular products give a light to medium natural tan that is buildable with each application and the extreme is a medium to dark, natural looking tan from the first use. Both produce a very natural even tan that never looks orange!
- One person dies of melanoma every hour (every 57 minutes).
- 1 in 50 men and women will be diagnosed with melanoma of the skin during their lifetime.
- About 86 percent of melanomas can be attributed to exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.
- Melanoma is the most common form of cancer for young adults 25-29 years old and the second most common form of cancer for young people 15-29 years old.
- The overall 5-year survival rate for patients whose melanoma is detected early, before the tumor has spread to regional lymph nodes or other organs, is about 98 percent in the US. The survival rate falls to 63 percent when the disease reaches the lymph nodes, and 16 percent when the disease metastasizes to distant organs.
- Melanoma is a deadly but largely preventable disease.
- SPFs with good quality ingredients can be expensive… but they are much less expensive than treating skin cancer!
If it's cold or cloudy outside, you don't need sunscreen. This is not true. This misperception often leads to the most serious sunburns, because people spend all day outdoors with no protection from the sun. Eighty percent of your sun exposure comes as a child, so it's too late to do anything now.
It appears that this universally promoted idea was based largely on a misinterpretation. A recent multi-center study showed that we get less than 25 percent of our total sun exposure by age 18. Your daily moisturizer/make-up have you covered. Most moisturizers or foundations have SPF 15, which is not nearly enough. They are also not always broad spectrum.
Also, if you are wearing a moisturizer with SPF 15 coverage and also a foundation with SPF 15 coverage, you only have SPF 15 coverage, they do not add up to SPF 30 coverage!
It appears that this universally promoted idea was based largely on a misinterpretation. A recent multi-center study showed that we get less than 25 percent of our total sun exposure by age 18. Your daily moisturizer/make-up have you covered. Most moisturizers or foundations have SPF 15, which is not nearly enough. They are also not always broad spectrum.
Also, if you are wearing a moisturizer with SPF 15 coverage and also a foundation with SPF 15 coverage, you only have SPF 15 coverage, they do not add up to SPF 30 coverage!
Ultraviolet radiation is a proven human carcinogen. More people develop skin cancer because of tanning than develop lung cancer because of smoking. The International Agency for Research on Cancer, an affiliate of the World Health Organization, includes ultraviolet (UV) tanning devices in its Group 1, a list of the most dangerous cancer-causing substances.
Group 1 also includes agents such as plutonium, cigarettes, and solar UV radiation. Eleven states now prohibit indoor tanning for minors younger than age 18: California, Vermont, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Minnesota, Louisiana, Hawaii, and Delaware. Brazil and New South Wales, Australia, have passed complete bans on indoor tanning.
As of January 2014, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the UK, Iceland, Italy, Finland and Norway prohibit indoor tanning for youths under age 18. One indoor UV tanning session increases users’ risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by 67 percent and basal cell carcinoma by 29 percent.
Group 1 also includes agents such as plutonium, cigarettes, and solar UV radiation. Eleven states now prohibit indoor tanning for minors younger than age 18: California, Vermont, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Illinois, Washington, Minnesota, Louisiana, Hawaii, and Delaware. Brazil and New South Wales, Australia, have passed complete bans on indoor tanning.
As of January 2014, France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Austria, Belgium, the UK, Iceland, Italy, Finland and Norway prohibit indoor tanning for youths under age 18. One indoor UV tanning session increases users’ risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by 67 percent and basal cell carcinoma by 29 percent.
Your skin is composed of three layers: the epidermis, or outermost layer; the dermis, or middle layer; and the subcutis, or basement layer. The dermis contains collagen, elastin, and other fibers that support the skin's structure. It is these elements that give skin its smooth and youthful appearance – and that are damaged by UV radiation.Your Most Common Questions Answered!
If I’m limiting my sun exposure, am I getting enough Vitamin D?
According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, YES, absolutely!
"Vitamin D is essential for strong bones and a healthy immune system. While a limited amount of vitamin D can be obtained from exposure to the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) radiation, the health risks of UV exposure — including skin cancer — are great. Instead, The Skin Cancer Foundation suggests you get your recommended daily 600 IU (international units, or 800 IU for people ages 70 and older) of vitamin D a day from food sources like oily fish, fortified dairy products and cereals, and supplements."
What is the difference between UVA and UVB rays?
UVB rays are shorter than UVA rays, and are the main culprit behind sunburn. But it is the UVA rays, with their longer wavelength, that are responsible for much of the damage we associate with photoaging. UVA rays penetrate deep into the dermis, where they damage the collagen fibers. This damage causes increased production of abnormal elastin. The unusual amounts of elastin result in the production of enzymes called metalloproteinases. These enzymes, which rebuild damaged collagen, often malfunction and degrade the collagen, resulting in incorrectly rebuilt skin. As this process is repeated with daily UVA exposure, the incorrectly rebuilt skin forms wrinkles, and the depleted collagen results in leathery skin.
What is Broad Spectrum Sunscreen?
Broad spectrum sunscreen protects against BOTH UVA AND UVB rays. You absolutely have to use broad spectrum! UVA rays can prematurely age your skin, causing wrinkling and age spots. UVB rays can burn your skin. Too much exposure to UVA or UVB rays can cause skin cancer. The best sunscreen offers protection from all UV light.
We have all of this info and yet most people don’t wear sunscreen on a daily basis. Why is this? I think it is because most sunscreens suck! The are white and chalky, smelly and greasy. It messes with your make-up and is annoying to wear all day.
So I created a problem that virtually disappears on the skin. Apply a thin layer in the morning and you’re covered all day! It is like a light weight moisturizer, never thick or chalky. It’s a simple step that takes seconds each morning and protects your skin completely without any downsides!
We spend hundreds of dollars on anti-aging face creams when the best thing we can do to keep our skin looking young and healthy is by adding sun protection to our regime.