by, Denise Frame-Leitch
Summer will be here in a matter of months and, for some, it's already arrived. Sometimes it's great to just take a long walk along the beach. I have to admit that I coat myself in bug repellent and Neutrogena Spray Sunblock first. I don't know whether a combination of the two is a good idea. I think that they should come out with a spray that encompasses both purposes. I will say this though, spray on sunblock is the best invention made for the beach and for the Summer in general. I have extremely fair skin and I have no room to tan. I'm really afraid to in the first place, because of the skin cancer factor that runs in my family. My grandmother had the issue which took of sections of her nose, and my little sister had skin cancer as well. Both of them were not even as fair I was, and I burn very quickly.
The whole tanning thing has always been taboo for me in a sense, because I never understood the whole allure of it. I can understand wanting a little color, but sometimes I think that there are people who take that to a whole new extreme. I mean there are these people who go to these tanning places and use these high powered uv tanning beds just so they can look almost orange in scale. Then when the doctor tells them that tanning raises the risk for skin cancer exponentially, they begin to fake-bake. This makes people look like an atrocious cheese doodle. I realize that the sun releases vitamin D, which I can use, according to my doctor, but there should be some sort of limit. According to the World Health Organization, the risk of melanoma increases by 75% with the use of tanning beds. This statistic increases for tanners in their teens and early twenties! The Food and Drug Administration wants to crack down and put more warnings on these tanning salons. Truthfully, I think that they should be shut down. They say that there is no way to have a safe tan. My sister, who wasn't even trying to tan, got skin cancer just by not using sunscreen while gardening. Sun exposure is really dangerous all the way around. According to the Palo Alto Medical Foundation, prolonged sun exposure can even lead to eye damage.
They say fair skinned people, such as myself, are the highest risk group for skin cancer, but the risk is strong for all skintones. Truthfully, my reasons are also for vanity's sake as well. The sun causes wrinkles and uneven skintone, so I've always used sunscreen. I've used it in my makeup as well. They say that skin cancer strikes men and women when they reach middle age. It's extremely important to take the proper precautions. My older sister, who is an avid tanner, already has an age spot on her forehead from repeated sun and tanning bed exposure. I told her to ask her dermatologist about it, because of the skin cancer risk. Luckily, it wasn't melanoma or anything related to that type of cancer. She still tans though, and they say that it actually is a real addiction. The endorphins released from tanning contain properties that can cause addiction issues to the tanner. This might seem like a ridiculous disorder, but it is indeed real. They actually have twelve step programs that deal with this very problem. According to Derma-Doctor.com, Texas cancer specialist Richard Wagner M.D. says, "53% of all beach goers are tanning dependent..." That's more than half of everyone on the shore. Makes you wish they handed out free sunblock as a public service. People should realize that tanning can make you look healthier, but the looks will cost you health-wise. The government should put restrictions on the use of tanning beds, and force people to realize that there are extreme and possibly lethal health risks involved in those practices.
Here are a list of choices for broad spectrum sunscreens that will help protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays:
• Hawaiian Tropic Baby Stick Sunscreen SPF 50
• Baby Blanket SunBlankie Towelette SPF 45+
• Aveeno Baby Continuous Protection SPF 55
• Coppertone Water Babies Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70+
• Banana Boat Sport Performance Active Max Protect, SPF 110
• Elizabeth Arden Eight Hour Cream Sun Defense for Face, SPF 50
• Rite Aid Kids Sunscreen Spray Lotion SPF 45
• Anthony Logistics for Men Sun Stick SPF 15
• iS SPF 20 Powder Sunscreen
• Peter Thomas Roth Instant Mineral SPF 30
• Colorescience Suncanny Face Colore SPF 20
• Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist SPF 45 (pictured above)
