Live In Our Skinz!

Rhonda Sparks, owner and Founder of UV Skinz, has built a foundation on creating products that allow consumers to both enjoy and preserve the outdoor venues in which they live without being concerned about skin damage from both UVA and UVB rays. In honor of Earth Day and every other day “protecting skin in addition to the environment has been an integral part of UPF 50+ protective outdoor wear producer, UV Skinz’ corporate conscience since the company’s inception in 2005.”
Practicing good sun protection (wearing UV Skinz) and learning “to be more discerning in your choices to buy organic, natural and eco-friendly sun protection that doesn’t contain ingredients that could harm you and, collaterally, add to the degradation of our ecosystem,” is what Rhonda Sparks wants consumers to be more conscious of.

“UV Skinz does not contain harsh sunscreen chemicals that could not only potentially irritate sensitive skin but also, over time, in environments with heavy tourist traffic in particular, cause damage to sensitive animal and plant life.”

Did you know?

The World Trade Organization reports, for instance, that about ten percent of vacations are taken in tropical areas with coral reefs that are, in turn, exposed to the effects of 78 million tourists annually.  This magnitude of traffic yields around 4,000 to 6,000 tons of potentially destructive UV filter sunscreen ingredients seeping into reef environments in just one year. A twenty minute swim releases about twenty-five percent of sunscreen ingredients on skin into the water.

A May 2008 study, appointed by the European Commission and published in the Environmental Health Perspectives, a U.S. journal published by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, confirmed that sunscreens worn by consumers who visit beaches all over the world are largely contributing to coral bleaching.  Coral bleaching is a tell-tale indicator that a coral colony is in distress. Bleaching occurs when a stressor, such as increased water temperature or changes in water chemistry, causes coral to expel the symbiotic algae that lives in coral tissue and is responsible for the vibrant coral colors.  The study indicates that up to 10% of reefs globally are susceptible to bleaching caused by lotion-based UV filters that are thought to trigger coral viruses.

“If protecting delicate skin from the damaging effects of the sun isn’t enough to convince consumers to cover up,” says Sparks, “we are happy to provide yet another compelling incentive.  Wearing protective swimwear that covers up more skin means less sunscreen finding its way to delicate coral colonies.  And less sunscreen consumption, in general, means fewer sunscreen containers ending up in our trash.”  The lifespan of UV Skinz garments can be several years which can translate to that much less sunscreen and sunscreen containers entering the eco-system.

(You can read more about Green Sunscreen here)

I want to end this post with some ways my family and I enjoy celebrating the Earth every day!

Have a great Earth Day!

Appreciate and Smell the Roses!

Show Respect for even the tiniest and slimiest animals!

Kiss a Tree!