Sun Safety Myths & Sunglasses You Can Eat

Sun Safety MYTHS:  The temperatures are still dangerously high.  We all want to keep our families safe during the Summer, but we can experience info overload.  We've all probably fallen victim to some common misconceptions about sun protection.  Here's some Sun Safety Myths from Fitbie that you need to be aware of this summer. 

• Myth: A base tan or dark complexion protects against sunburn - The Truth: Tanning does very little to shield you from sunburn. A suntan generated by ultraviolet light only provides a sun protection factor (SPF) of 2 to 3 for people with light to medium skin tones, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Base tans also don't protect against sun damage, which happens at the cellular level, says Vilma Cokkinides, PhD, a cancer prevention epidemiologist with the American Cancer Society. Sun exposure causes changes in skin cells' DNA, and these genetic mutations can turn into cancer over time, she explains.  You're dark complexion won't protect you either.  Dark skin may make you less susceptible to  redness, but nobody’s immune to sun damage. “Even if you don’t burn easily, you’re still receiving radiation,” says Cokkinides. “Know and understand your skin type and choose the appropriate protection for it.” If you’re confused, ask your doctor
• Myth: I don’t need sunscreen in the morning - The Truth: While UVB rays hit the United States between peak hours of 10am-4pm from April to October, UVA rays are present anytime it’s light outside—even in the early morning and late afternoon, during the winter, and on cloudy days. “What outdoor exercisers don’t realize is that UVA rays penetrate deeply into the skin and contribute to the development of skin cancer and to damaged skin,” says Maral Skelsey, MD, director of the Dermatologic Surgery Center in Washington, DC, and a fellow of the American Academy of Dermatology.
• Myth: I wear SPF 70. I have nothing to worry about. The SPF numbers on bottles of sunscreen seem to climb higher every summer. When you pick up a bottle of SPF 50 or 70, you feel pretty confident that you’re walking out of the drugstore with the most powerful sun-protection product on the market. - The Truth: The bump in protection offered by higher SPFs is minimal. For example, SPF 15 sunblock screens 93 percent of the sun’s UVB rays, while SPF 30 protects against 97 percent and SPF 50 against 98 percent, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation.  It's more important to see “broad spectrum” or “multi-spectrum” on a bottle of sunscreen is more important than a high SPF number. These words indicate that the product provides protection against both UVA and UVB rays, which damage the skin in different ways. UVB rays are mostly responsible for sunburn, and SPF generally refers to the amount of protection that a product offers against this type of radiation. UVA rays, which have longer wavelengths, penetrate the skin more deeply and contribute to wrinkles and skin cancers. For light outdoor exercise, the Skin Cancer Foundation recommends a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. For longer duration outdoor workouts (including those where you’ll be sweating heavily or hitting the pool), opt for a broad-spectrum, water-resistant product with an SPF of at least 30. 
• Myth: Water-resistant means waterproof - The Truth: Sunscreen isn’t waterproof. Water-resistant means a dip in the water won’t wash it off right away.  It’ll stay on your skin longer than regular sunscreen, but that doesn’t necessarily mean the whole day. Each time you take a plunge in the water—and towel off after—water-resistant sunscreen loses its effect. Reapply after swimming, sweating, or towel-drying.
• Myth: A hat protects my head and face - The Truth: A hat is good for blocking the rays that come from directly overhead, but it doesn’t protect your face from the rays that bounce up from the ground. “Many people don’t recognize that they are at risk for greater levels of damage when near the water, sand, and snow because of increased reflection” In addition to applying sunscreen to your face, don’t forget a pair of shades. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends UV-blocking large-framed sunglasses to protect your eyelids and the delicate skin around your eyes, which are common sites for wrinkles and skin cancers. Shielding your peepers from the sun can also fend off cataracts later in life.

Sunglasses that you can EAT! (Article)
Early this month, I told you that you should be eating your sunscreen.  Or that you should eat Watermelon and Tomatoes since they act like an internal sunscreen to protect your skin from the sun.  (Visit that Blog Post Here)  Today, I found out that God also provided a Summer Food that acts like natural Sunglasses.  It's Corn!  Corn has two antioxidants in it that protect your eyes from sun damage - lutein and zeaxanthin.  Yeah, I couldn't pronounce the last one either.  These antioxidants also help protect your eyes from developing age-related macular degeneration too.  So throw some corn on the grill this weekend!

Meet Jim and the Veggies:
Don't Forget!  You can meet Bob & Larry from the Veggie Tales and 88.5 WJIE's Jim Galipeau at Lifeway Christian Store in Elizabethtown this Saturday from 11:00am-1:00pm. Parents, remember to bring your camera.  More info is available at wjie.org

Special Facebook Announcement:
Check us out on Facebook.  We posted a special announcement with a photo of a beautiful new addition to the WJIE family this week!  88.5 WJIE Meteorologist Randy Ollis welcomed his 1st granddaughter into the world this week.  You will find a special message from Randy on the 88.5 WJIE Facebook page.  Find the link to our Facebook page at wjie.org