Do you know what’s the worst? What’s the worst is when a member or instructor comes into the studio sporting a bright red and painful sunburn. It’s inevitable that it happens from time-to-time, right? You get stuck somewhere without enough sun protection (or worse, you opt not to use any at all – shame!), or maybe you’re the mom who slathers her kid up, but forgets to put it on herself until it’s WAY too late. Either way, with the 4th of July drawing us all outside to beaches, pools, and all-day celebrations, we thought it would be good to re-address the importance of sun protection.
Think about it – you spend all this time and effort to keep your body healthy and fit here with us at Studio Barre, you try to eat healthy (especially if you’ve ever done one or more of our nutrition challenges!), and the vibe in the studio is always positive and uplifting. We’re improving ourselves mentally and physically, from the inside out, so wouldn’t you want to take some simple steps to protect the outside as well?!?! Here are some great facts you need to know…
- According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, melanoma is now the MOST COMMON CANCER in women ages 25-29, and second only to breast cancer in women ages 30-34. IS THAT YOU???
- “SPF” stands for “Sun Protection Factor” and should absolutely be taken into consideration when spending time in the sun. If your skin is likely to start to burn when in the sun unprotected in about 10 minutes, then a product with SPF 30 will protect you for 30 times longer. That’s 300 minutes of protection (which equals 5 hours if you’re wondering)!
- Pay attention to whether your product is water-RESISTANT or waterPROOF! If you sweat a lot or get wet, depending on what you have on, your protection will be lessened. Different products require different re-application times. Now that being said, if you have sensitive skin or are prone to break outs, waterproof products can sometimes cause issues. You’ll need to re-apply more often, but you’ll be prone to less irritation. Anyone with sensitive skin should also look for products that are PABA-free.
- There’s a significant difference between sunSCREEN and sunBLOCK! Sunscreen needs to be applied 30 minutes prior to sun exposure, and it works to absorb the UV rays assaulting the skin before they do damage. Sunblock begins to work as soon as it’s applied, and it doesn’t just absorb, it blocks the rays from even penetrating the skin. Consider it a great wall of protection against aging and sunburn!
- All sunscreens protect against UVB rays (these mainly affect the top layers of skin and lead to the dreaded sunburn), but only SOME sunscreens protect against UVA rays as well (these affect the under layers of skin and lead to premature aging!). CHECK YOUR SUNCREEN! IS IT BROAD SPECTRUM WITH AN SPF OF 15 OR HIGHER?!
- READ YOUR LABELS! Sunscreens and sunblocks that contain micronized titanium dioxide or zinc oxide will provide the best protection against melanoma (skin cancer), hyperpigmentation (dark spots), as well as wrinkles and early aging.
Consider a fabulous spray tan instead of baking away in the sun. Your Studio Barre instructors certainly do! In fact, our very own Meredith owns Bella Bronze, a fabulous travelling spray tan service. She’ll come right to your home so that you never have to walk out the door feeling pale! But REMEMBER that a fake tan, either via spray or bottle, DOES NOT protect you from the sun. You have to be just as diligent with the sun protection, even when you look tan!
So what products do we like? Stores like Sprouts, Whole Foods, and Jimbos carry some really terrific organic, PABA-free options. But what we’re really stoked about right now is a skin protection line from COOLA (www.coolasuncare.com). COOLA products are made with up to 97% certified organic ingredients, sourced with a Farm-to-Face philosophy. What does this mean? It means that ingredients are sourced locally, and brought in for processing in their most complete, organic states. Want to try it? You can find COOLA skin protection products at Ulta in the Prestige Skincare selection, as well as many hotels and spas. There’s a product finder tool right on the web site where you can enter your zip code. We searched and found it at La Costa Resort, which is right around the corner! You can also order it online, which is super convenient.
So we hope not to see any post-beach sunburns walking through our doors. We want our clients (and instructors) looking and feeling young and beautiful, and of course skin cancer free!
Happy Tucking!
Shannon
