Keep Your Skin Young and Healthy with Proper Summer Skin Care

It's summertime … and the livin' is easy. It's also the season when it's easy to get sunburned. Unfortunately, the golden bronze that makes everyone look healthy is actually a sign that your skin cells have been damaged, and repeated overexposure to the sun increases aging of the skin and risk of skin cancers.

Did you know that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States, with more than one million new cases diagnosed every year? According to the American Academy of Dermatology, last year approximately 51,400 people in the United States were diagnosed with melanoma - the deadliest form of skin cancer -and about 7,800 of those people died from the disease.

There's actually been a 9% increase in melanoma in the past two years, but that trend can be reversed if everyone learns the correct way to use a sunscreen, how to dress properly to protect themselves against prolonged exposure, and what nutritional supplements to take for additional support.

What happens when your skin burns?

Good health depends on getting fresh air and sunlight, which we absorb through chromophores (primarily the pigment melanin) in our skin, and synthesize into vitamin D. The sun stimulates the production of melanin, which is our skin's natural sun protection. But since the earth's protective ozone layer is thinning … and since we're a society of sun worshipers, our natural melanin is not nearly enough to protect us from solar radiation.

Ultraviolet radiation from the sun — identified as UVA, UVB and UVC rays — is the culprit in a variety of health problems, ranging from a compromised immune system to cataract formation and skin cancer. "UVB light breaks down the skin's DNA," explains Arthur Balin, M.D., co-author of The Life of the Skin (Bantam Books). "Once a cell's DNA chain is broken and it tries to divide, it may do so irregularly and develop into skin cancer. UVA rays, which have a longer wavelength, penetrate further into your skin and cause damage more slowly than burning rays. However, UVA light destroys the skin's elastic tissue and collagen, as well as promoting irregularities and spots—all photo-aging effects." UVC rays have the shortest wavelength and are the most lethal. "These lead to cancers very quickly," says Balin.

Ultraviolet (UV) radiation from the sun (and tanning salons) triggers the formation of cell-damaging free radicals, which is the main cause of premature aging of your skin. In fact, most dermatologists say that age spots, wrinkles and other signs associated with aging skin are the direct cumulative result of decades of unprotected sun exposure, rather than aging itself. (Julie Davis, Young Skin for Life, Rodale Press, 1995)

In addition, loss of moisture and essential fatty acids, and low levels of antioxidants contribute to age spots, dryness, wrinkles, and overall aging of the skin. Topical antioxidants and other nutritional supplements all help maintain the strength and elasticity of the skin. And, no matter what your age, you can help protect your skin from further sun damage by using sunscreen.

Protect yourself from sun damage!

"Sunburn is a common injury for many people during the summer months and one that is highly preventable," says dermatologist Richard F. Wagner, MD. (co-author of "Mechanisms of Sunscreen Failure" Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, May 2001) "We found that even beach-goers who used sunscreen were still getting sunburned because they weren't applying enough of it or reapplying it as often as they should."

Sunscreen is the best anti-wrinkle cosmetic you can buy

Not only is it designed to prevent sunburn and protect against cancer, but it's also your best bet to prevent premature aging and skin cancer. Here's the best way to use sunscreen, and some additional tips, based on guidelines set by the American Academy of Dermatology:

Wear a broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 15.
Use sunscreen every day if you are going to be in the sun for more than 20 minutes.
Apply sunscreen to dry skin 15 to 30 minutes before going outdoors.
Pay particular attention to the face, ears, hands and arms, and generously coat the skin that is not covered by clothing.
One ounce of sunscreen, enough to fill a shot glass, is considered the amount needed to cover the exposed areas of the body completely.
Check the expiration date, especially if your sunscreen has been sitting in your beach bag all winter.
Reapply sunscreen after two hours or after being in the water for 80 minutes—even it it's waterproof— or if you're sweating heavily.
Avoid deliberate tanning, which includes visiting tanning salons! According to reports in Health (June 1987) and the University of California, Berkeley, Wellness Letter (February 1989), man-made ultraviolet rays are five to 100 times more powerful than those of the midday sun and are proportionately more likely to cause premature aging or melanomas.
Seek out shade! Whenever you go to a picnic or baseball game, sit in the shade, not the sun! But remember to still wear sunscreen!
Wear protective clothing. Consider buying a featherweight, long-sleeved cotton shirt to wear when you spend lots of time outdoors.
Shield the face and back of the neck with a wide-brimmed hat.
Stay away from midday sun, between 10 AM and 3 PM, when the sun's rays are strongest.
Protect your lips with a lip balm containing sunscreen.
Shield your eyes from harmful rays. Sunglasses have been found to help reduce the development of cataracts—as well as squint lines—so wear them!
Use caution if you're on medication. Albert Kligman, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Dermatology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, says, " If you're taking any prescription drug, ask your doctor or pharmacist if you also need to take special precautions against the sun."
Be extremely vigilant in limiting children to sun exposure. Apply sunscreen liberally, but never to babies under 6 months of age.

Antioxidants slow age-related skin damage

It's the free radicals that result from sun exposure that cause the undesired damage that shows up on our skin as wrinkles, age spots and pigmentation. But there's much more damage than meets the eye. The skin consists of two main layers: the exterior epidermis, and the dermis below, which contains capillaries, hair follicles, sebaceous glands and collagen and elastin, which give the skin its strength and elasticity.

According to Sheldon Pinnell, M.D., professor of dermatology at Duke University, "As we age, collagen is lost and the dermis thins, resulting in wrinkling." In fact, wrinkle lines appear not just on the skin's surface, but below the dermis as well, where they manifest as dermal grooves.

The good news is that you can maintain and rejuvenate your skin by including these antioxidants in your diet and taking them as nutritional supplements:

Vitamin A is extremely important for healthy skin and mucous membranes. It is found in fish oils, liver and dairy products. Beta-carotene, the plant version of vitamin A, is found in yellow/orange fruits and veggies such as carrots, sweet potatoes, apricots and cantaloupe, as well as green vegetables such as parsley, kale and spinach.
Vitamin E helps support healthy skin and rejuvenates the skin, particularly when scarring has occurred. It is found in almonds, peanuts, sunflower seeds, broccoli, wheat germ, vegetable oils, and fatty fish (salmon, mackerel, halibut, trout)
Vitamin C helps in the production of collagen, a protein necessary for the formation of skin. It is found in most fresh fruits and vegetables.
Zinc has antibacterial and anti-inflammatory effects on the skin. It is essential for protein synthesis and collagen formation and is found in eggs, whole grains, nuts and mushrooms.

So, this summer, have fun in the sun. But be smart! Treat your skin like the precious organ that it is. Treat it like a priceless piece of clothing. Protect it and nourish it. It's the most important thing you'll ever wear!

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