Play Safe in the Sun

Summer is here so bring on the sunscreen!

Remember the days of comparing tan lines with each other, striving for brown skin and (eek!) slathering on baby oil to bask in the sun? Unfortunately, what we didn't know can, and in a lot of cases, has hurt us. Sunscreen wasn't all that popular until the 70's when it began carrying SPF labels, but not until the 80's did it become commonly used. By the 90's the sunscreen industry figured out that all products need to protect against both UVA and UVB rays, so now we know to look for "broad spectrum" coverage.

Since the mid-2000's skin cancer awareness campaigns have made it clear that sunscreen is a necessity and tanning beds are turning into the same shameful idea as public smoking areas. Just as smoking is a no-brainer cause of lung cancer, The American Cancer Society states the number one cause of all types of skin cancer is unprotected and/or excessive exposure to ultraviolet radiation, or UV rays, from both sunlight and/or tanning booths.

Not okay anymore!

The American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) estimates 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. Although the majority of these cases will be squamous and basal cell cancers (the less dangerous and more easily treated), the deadly form of skin cancer called melanoma has increased in the last 30 years to one American death every HOUR from melanoma. Scary would be an understatement. Read this Cosmopolitan article about Glenna Kohl, a 26-year-old woman who lost her battle with melanoma at such a young age.

On the bright side of these alarming facts, we now have the knowledge and the tools to stay safe in the sun while still enjoying ourselves and playing outside. AAD states that by using daily sunscreen, our melanoma risks are cut in half.

Here is what you can do to protect yourself and your family this summer. (I hope the owner of the baby oil bottle I saw on a pool lawn chair last week is reading this.)

The American Cancer Society is spreading the phrase "slip, slop, slap, and wrap" to help us remember the best ways to avoid UV rays. I know it sounds like an education of how to avoid something else, lol, but it breaks down like this:

• slip on a shirt
• slop on sunscreen
• slap on a hat
• wrap sunglasses around your head

How fun is this hat?!

Coverups aren't just made of terrycloth anymore

No you will not look like the Griswolds on vacation. Go ahead and rock that fedora you can't figure out where else to wear, or channel your inner starlet with a huge floppy hat. Find a cute cover-up to prance around in, or watch your kids play from a breezy and cool shady spot at the pool.

Of course we all like the sun on our bellies occasionally, so when you will be exposed to the sun, you must cover yourself in at least a 30 SPF, according to dermatologist Arielle Kauvar, M.D. in this month's Fitness Magazine.

To make it easier and more effective for consumers, the FDA has mandated that all sunscreens must be labeled with:

• Degree of SPF
• Water-resistance (40 or 80 minutes)
• Whether or not it's broad-spectrum (protecting against both UVA and UVB rays)

Kauver also notes that water-resistance applies to sweat as well as water, so even if you aren't taking a dip in the pool you should reapply according to the label. Although a palm-full of sunscreen is the generally agreed-upon amount to cover the average adult, many dermatologists recommend double-coating areas that are most exposed (think nose, ears, shoulders, etc.)

For those of you with kids, remember they are even more prone to prolonged sun exposure with their Energizer Bunny mindsets. Kids are excited and ready to play outside all day, so parents should pay extra attention to reapplying their sunscreen and making sure they play in the shade as much as possible. Those 10 minute "adult swims" every hour at the pool are the perfect opportunity to take a break in the shade, drink water, and reapply sunscreen (not to mention letting mom relax her pool hawk-eyes while the kids are all in one place at the same time.)

Even after all the dangerous info on skin cancer, women especially still want the bronze skin we see advertised in every magazine and television screen around. Perfect for us, the self-tanning industry recognized this dilemma before we did, so we've got plenty of options.

1. We can slather on lotions to "tan" us until the cows come home. The Internet is full of reviews for every brand from organic to orange, so take a peek and find the right one for you.
2. We can spray it on. From home kits to spas, the sun-kissed look comes in a can! Even tanning salons are replacing carcinogenic tanning beds with spray-tan rooms.
3. If the chemicals in the traditional spray-tans sound a little too freaky, Kansas Citians have the best organic, sugar-based spray-on tan company called Bronze Brulee Custom Tan. Kris Mantel creates an even, beautiful bronze custom to your skin color.

If all else fails, remember that before our society became so obsessed with the sun-tan, it used to be a sign of wealth and refinement to have pale, untouched, milky white skin. Women carried umbrellas and stayed in the shade and that was what made them "beautiful" back then. For some reason our modern definition of beauty includes changing the color of our skin through the radiation that burns down from a huge, fiery star that is so close it's called our sun. So chew on that for a moment, and remember to protect yourself while you enjoy the summer!