Sun Protection & Sun Mistakes

Did you know suffering with one or more blistering sunburns in childhood or adolescence more than doubles your chances of developing melanoma? That’s kinda scary, huh? Here in South Florida the sun seems like it is magnified. When I was growing up, my mother brought me to the beach on an almost daily basis. My skin as an adult now shows the signs of this sun exposure.

Raise your hand if you’ve paid for your lack of sun protection? I’m over here waving mine. I’ve made my share of skin protection mistakes. If you’re around my age, then you remember the days when tanning beds were all the rage. I went as far as having a membership to a tanning bed facility. If only I utilized my gym membership as often as my tanning bed membership, I might have once had a 6 pack.

Now as an educated adult, I spend my time in my dermatologist office scanning over my body to ensure one of my freckles or moles isn’t camouflaging itself. I have technically been lucky, in the sense that anything that has been discovered as potentially dangerous has been removed before becoming ominous.

Since becoming educated on skincare and sun protection I have ensured to utilize all resources available not only for myself, but for my family as well. La Roche-Posay, a leader in dermatological skincare in Europe, is bringing a pharmacy staple to the US; a unique, multi-purpose balm to soothe irritated areas due to dryness. La Roche-Posay products are available at CVS and Amazon.

Cicaplast Baume B5 is proven to:

Soothe dry irritated areas

Help restore the skin barrier function

Help improve the appearance of of dry skin

In 2016 a digital breakthrough innovation from La Roche-Posay was developed to help educate people on how to better protect their skin from the sun. The my UV Patch (app download required), is a connected health technology that allows kids and adults to measure their UV exposure and risk in real time. My UV Patch is a unique transparent adhesive containing photosensitive dyes that, when connected to the My UV Patch app, are able to provide real-time reading of UV exposure. Ultra-thin, ultra-water resistant and adapted to sensitive skin, it can be worn on the back of the hand for up to three days.

A majority of children are overexposed to UV rays, as skin damage can occur within 15 minutes of stepping outside. Children are unable to assess the threat of overexposure, which contributes to accumulated skin damage that often doesn’t appear until later in life.

Did you know that just 5 sunburns before the age of 20 can increase the risk of melanoma by +80%? Anthelios 60 Dermo-Kids, a sunscreen developed with moms, dermatologists, and pediatricians. It is specifically made with powerful UVA/UVB filters that provide broad spectrum, 80-minute water resistant protection, highly protective ingredients and antioxidants that are effective, safe, and gentle on children’s sensitive skin. This is perfect for my little ones in these hot summer days.