Tag Archives: uv swim shirts

04.02.10
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Photo Story Friday…MaryAnn’s Story

PhotoStory Friday
Hosted by Cecily and Life With Kaishon

 MaryAnn’s Story…

When did you start using tanning beds? and for what reasons?

 The first time I was in a tanning bed was when I was 13. I used to go to my mom’s salon and get into one fully clothed and put a towel on my face and fall asleep. After, we put the tanning bed into our house. When we did that, I was using it very few times but I would use it. My tanning bed addiction did not come until I was in my late teens early twenties. By then I was using them sometimes twice or three times a week. Then I wouldn’t go again for weeks. I was very sporadic in my usage. Nothing like you see the kids do today. The reason I started using tanning beds is because I’m vain. I care what people think about me. I want to look good. In my eyes at that time, being tanned was the only look that was acceptable.

How did your experience change your life?
It was like doing 180 degrees. I completely changed my view of the sun and my views of skin cancer and tanning beds especially. I went through a dark depression for about a year after I was diagnosed. I didn’t want to go outside because people would always ask me, “what happened to you?” But there wasn’t one person who ever guessed that I had, had skin cancer. The day I started doing speeches, and trying to educate people about the dangers of tanning beds and skin cancer in general is the day I regained my life back. I became a survivor instead of a victim. I could finally make a difference in what had happened to me and not just wallow in my own misery.

Is there an inspirational quote or song that keeps you moving forward and gives you strength in your life?
I love the quote, “Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.” After facing my mortality I realized just how very precious our lives are and we should not take that for granted.

What is the best advice you can give to someone who thinks that skin cancer can’t happen to them?
Think again. Skin cancer can happen to anyone no matter what type of skin you have. People who have darker complexions may have a lower risk of getting skin cancer, but if they are diagnosed they also have a higher death rate because it is harder to catch the cancer early enough. Stay out of tanning beds, keep your sun block applied every two hours and be vigilant about your own skin. You are your first line of defense against skin cancer. Pay attention to your skin.

03.30.10
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Spring Break Sun Safety

Spring Break is upon us! Most families take advantage of this time to travel to warmer vacation spots and after spending long winter months bundled up it’s easy to put sun protection to the back burner.  Even during the winter months and throughout the year practicing good sun protection habits is a must.

It’s easy to be safe in the sun while you are wearing UV Skinz swim shirts. They are one application with all day protection! Since the uv protection is in the tight-weave of the fabric you never have to worry about losing sun protection. They are light-weight, comfortable and come in many sizes from infants to XXL. Check out the official UV Skinz website to get yours!

I found some great tips on how to protect the whole family!

Sun Safety for Infants
Infants have soft, smooth skin that is both thinner than that of older children and lower in melanin—body’s important defense against ultraviolet rays. Sunscreen is not safe for babies under six months old, so parents must take sun safety precautions in other forms.

  • Keeping the baby out of the sun entirely is the best, but not always the most reasonable, form of sun safety.
  • If the infant must be in the sun, keep exposed skin covered, use a brimmed hat, and keep shaded under a tree or with an umbrella if natural shade is not available.

Sun Safety for Toddlers through Tweens
The wonderful thing about spring sun safety is that the temperature is often at more moderate levels where the kids are willing to wear more clothing—and they also tend to more readily follow parental instructions for sunscreen and “sun breaks”.

    • Apply sunscreen often. Use a sunscreen with at least an SPF 15, although a higher protection level is encouraged, and reapply every 2-3 hours—and again after time in the water. Don’t forget to protect the lips with an SPF lip balm as well.
    • Encourage breaks from the sun. Plan some activities, such as picnics under an umbrella, or even a few indoor activities, to encourage the kids to take a break from the sun. Some beaches and parks even offer umbrella and portable tent rentals to make this easier for families.
    • Don’t forget to protect the eyes. Some kids refuse sunglasses—but, the protection that they offer is great. Try a variety of sunglass styles—and if you aren’t able to persuade the child to wear them, try a wide brimmed hat or even a baseball cap to shade the eyes from the sun’s rays.
    • Read medication warnings. Some medications intensify the risk for sunburn. Certain antibiotics, for example, often carry a warning again prolonged sun exposure. These medications can cause a child who rarely burns, to become sun sensitive, so parents need to remember the risks!

Sun Safety for Teens
Teens are often a difficult sell on anything safe and precautionary—so parents of teens must approach them with a different set of tactics. Many want to appear tan, healthy and athletic and fail to see the dangers and risks.

  • Educate them on sun exposure risks. Head to the internet and find photos relevant to your cause. Skinema.com  shows a number of celebrity before and after shots of their skin in youth and after years of sun damage.
  • Set an example yourself. Wear sun screen, take breaks from the sun, use hats and sunglasses. If you begin to set this example early on, teens will be more willing to follow your lead as they may see positive skin effects in you versus the sun loving parents of friends!
  • Make self tanners an option. For teens, appearances are everything—and fitting in is key. Do some research, and find safe self tanning alternatives and purchase them so that reluctant teens can achieve the look desired without the negative effects.

Source: Bella Online

03.25.10
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“New” UV Skinz Designs!

The son of one of our loyal customers loved his UV Skinz swim shirt so much that he designed a few of his own! Here is what his Mom had to say; “ Jacob sure loves his Skinz!  And he got so excited, thinking about a new shirt this year, that he inspired himself to create some new shirt designs for you to see.  Naturally, he would thrilled beyond belief if you saw one you thought would be good for the product line, but in any case, he had a great time creating them and here they are for you to enjoy.”

The UV Skinz mission is to “Get Kids Covered” so it is so amazing to hear that our swim shirts are so cool (for lack of a better phrase!) that one of our young customers would design his own swim shirts. I only uploaded three of the designs, but the rest will be posted to our Facebook Fan page; UV Skinz.

 

08.26.09
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Genes That Cause Melanoma Discovered!

Scientist from the “Queensland Institute of Medical Research have found two new genes that together double a persons risk of melanoma.”

A study team studied the genes of 6,000 people and found that “specific changes in two genes were found to make people more susceptible to developing moles. The researchers went on to show, in another 4,000 people, the same two genes increased the risk of developing melanoma – the most deadly form of skin cancer.”

It has been known that the more moles a person has increases their chance of melanoma, but now they ” have conclusive genetic evidence that having a large number of moles increases an individual’s risk of developing melanoma.”

One of the reasons Rhonda, Founder of UV Skinz, created this company with the mission to “get kids covered” was because her husband passed away at a young age from Melanoma. She has the constant thought that her sons are more at risk of developing the disease. It is important to know your family history and if you have cases of skin cancer in your family then take extra precautions to protect against Melanoma.

Here is some good advice!: Moles are normal but people should seek advice from their doctor if they observe any changes in size, colour or shape. People with lots of moles are at a higher risk of developing melanoma and should therefore take extra care to avoid overexposure to ultraviolet radiation.

Did you know?: Australia has the highest incidence of melanoma in the world with more than 10,000 new cases and 1000 people dying from the disease every year. Queensland has the highest incidence of any state with seven Queenslanders diagnosed with melanoma every day. More than one in 20 Queenslanders is expected to develop melanoma during their lifetime.

Sourcehttp://www.discoveryon.info/2009/07/genes-that-cause-melanoma-discovered.html

07.27.09
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Are Commercial Sunscreens Safe?

I was checking my google alerts today and I found a shocking and eye-opening article on the safety and effectiveness on many of the commonly used sunscreens on the store shelves. According to a study done on 1,600 sunscreen products by the Environmental Working Group, 60% of sunscreens are unsafe or ineffective.

Here is more from the article (Source: Arizona Republic Online):

None of Coppertone’s 43 sunscreen products meet the group’s criteria for safety and effectiveness, and the group recommended only two of 152 products from Banana Boat and Neutrogena.

Coppertone spokeswoman Julie Lux said the company was committed to providing the highest quality of sun-care protection.

“We are concerned that reports like this will inappropriately discourage consumers from using sunscreen to protect themselves,” Lux said. “Sunscreen is only one part of a sun-protection program.”

Banana Boat and Neutrogena did not respond to multiple phone calls.

Most popular sunscreens contain oxybenzone, a potentially hazardous chemical that can penetrate skin and disrupt hormonal development, EWG senior analyst Sean Gray said.

Kevin and Karen Paschke, also of Tempe, said stricter government regulations may be necessary.

“We do need uniform standards for manufacturing,” Kevin said. “Right now, it’s like the Wild West. We need to know the long-term effects of some of these products.”

The study did find signs of improvement in many brands.

A similar investigation last summer found that only 29 percent of sunscreen products contained a strong UVA radiation filter, but the number jumped to 70 percent this year.

Still, one in nine products “confers dangerously low levels of UVA protection,” according to the study.

“Consumers should be cautious,” Gray said. “They need to look at labels and make careful decisions for their family.”

While a product’s rating corresponds to UVB protection, there is currently no standard to evaluate sunscreen’s effectiveness in blocking UVA radiation.

Many scientists believe UVA radiation damages skin and can lead to skin cancer and premature aging, according to the National Cancer Institute.

Wow! I grew up with Coppertone and Banana Boat, so now to know that they are unsafe and mostly ineffective is kind of a shocker. I have been careful about the sunscreens that I choose for my daughter’s because there is more of an option out there. Companies are coming up with all-natural and chemical-free sunscreens. Just like the article stated, sunscreen is just one part of sun protection.

Wearing a uv protective swim shirt that covers most of the body is a great idea if you are going to be outdoors for even a couple of hours. That will cut down on the amount of sunscreen and possible chemicals that would be absorbed by your skin. UV Skinz swim shirts protect against 98% of the sun’s UVA and UVB rays–all day! They are chemical-free and dry quickly so that you can be comfortable in any outdoor activity.

If you haven’t gotten a swim shirt for yourself then this is your last week to get a UV Skinz swim shirt at 40% off!