Summer Skin Care Resolution

Date Published: May 10th, 2016
Blog Category: ColoreScience, EltaMD, Epionce, Skin Cancer, Skin Care, SPF, Summer Skin Care, Sun Protection, Sunscreen

Ask yourself: What did I learn about my sunscreen habits in past summers? Do you have a no sunburn success story or sore, painful, blistered epic fail? What did you vow to change in summer 2016? Maybe it’s not so simple, maybe you or a family member was diagnosed with skin cancer and it’s got you thinking about what you could do to take better care of your skin.

I have worked in the skin care industry for 10 years and in those years I have witnessed hundreds and thousands of patients be diagnosed with skin cancer  and follow them through treatment and follow up. If I wanted any one message to resonate with you skin cancer is a very real disease for people of all ages! This is why having a “new summer” resolution is important.

My “new summer” resolution is to always apply my sunscreen 30 minutes prior to going out in the sun. I have a bad habit of forgetting to put it on before I go outside.

Here are some other helpful tips for preventing sunburns and skin cancer:

  • Wear long sleeves, long pants, sun hat and sunglasses whenever possible.
  • Seek shade instead of direct sunlight. Trees and canopies are great sources for shade.
  • Apply sunscreen of SPF 30-50 30 minutes before sun exposure.
  • ALWAYS RE-APPLY every 90 mins especially when in the sun for extended periods of time. *Don’t forget your ears, backs of hands, tops of feet and scalp.
  • Find a sunscreen you like! We carry great brands and can recommend  brands  if you need help finding the perfect one for your family and lifestyle  such as EltaMD, Epionce, Colorescience and Solbar.

Check out these skin cancer facts:

  • In the U.S. alone over 5.4 million cases of non-melanoma skin cancer are treated in more than 3.3 million people.
  • Each year there are more new cases of skin cancer1than the combined incidence of cancers of the breast, prostate, lung and colon
  • About 90 percent of non-melanoma skin cancers are associated with exposure to ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun.

Even more concerning:

  • One person dies of melanoma every hour (every 52 minutes)
  • An estimated 76,380 new cases of invasive melanoma will be diagnosed in the U.S. in 2016.
  • 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.14
  • Regular daily use of an SPF 15 or higher sunscreen reduces the risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma by about 40 percent16and the risk of developing melanoma by 50 percent.

Please note that daily use of an SPF or 15 or more reduces the chance of melanoma by 50%!! That’s HUGE!! And so easy to do!

I hope that I have inspired you to make your own ‘new summer” resolution in honor of skin cancer awareness month and all those how have had a non melanoma skin cancer or melanoma.

Click here for more tips on what is the best sunscreen for you. Don’t forget about our May/June SPF Special!

http://www.skincancer.org/skin-cancer-information/skin-cancer-facts

http://www.ewg.org/2015sunscreen/