Summer Skin and Your Worst Enemies

Summer is vastly approaching and while we may love the warm weather, our skin will eventually pay the price. Sunburns and ticks are no stranger to summer weather or our delicate skin. Protection and first aid care are a must and while we hope you won’t have to face summer’s worst enemies, we’ve prepared a guide, just in case.

Sunburn

If you’ve ever stayed out in the sun without SPF for too long, then you know the consequences. Pale or dark skin, it doesn’t matter, sunburn can happen to anyone and eventually it can lead to skin cancer if you don’t protect yourself now.

Protect – Be sure to wear an SPF of 15 or higher and apply every two hours when you are out in the sun. Don’t forget the face and don’t skimp out on it. If you’re going to be out in the water, be sure to apply the SPF before and after you are in the water. Also, remember to wear sunglasses that will block UV light. Wear a big floppy hat to protect your face and ears. If you can, stay out of the sun when it’s at its harshest, which is usually between 10am and 3pm.

Symptoms – Generally sunburn symptoms will appear in 1 to 6 hours after being out in the sun. Your skin may look pink or red and hot to the touch. If you have severe sunburn you may be a very dark red with swelling and blisters. You may also have fever, an upset stomach, dehydration, headache and dizziness.

First Aid – Get out of the sun immediately. If your sunburn is minor, place a cool wet cloth on the burn or take a cool bath since showers could be very painful. Afterwards, apply an Aloe Vera gel to the affected areas. If you’re running a fever or have pain, take a medication such as ibuprofen and drink 6-8 glasses of water a day to re-hydrate. If the sunburn is severe and the blisters become infected, seek a medical professional immediately.

If you continue to expose yourself to sunburns, you could end up with wrinkled and saggy skin, brown spots, or skin cancer.

Ticks

If you’ve never been exposed to those little blood-sucking parasites known as ticks, then you’re lucky! Ticks can be found living in tall grass, woods and mountains. They will attach themselves to you, latching onto your skin and digging in. Most tick bites are not dangerous, but there are a few that can cause serious illness.

Protect – To prevent a tick bite, stay away from tall grass or any areas that are infested with ticks. If it is impossible to stay away from the area, wear pants that are tucked inside of your boots or socks and a long sleeved shirt. You can also use an insect repellant meant for ticks, on your skin and clothing.

Symptoms – If you have a tick bite, you may feel pain and see some swelling where the tick has attached itself. You may see a very small bump with redness and experience some itching that should go away within a week. If you begin to experience headaches, chills or a fever or have any other flu like symptoms it could be the sign of an illness from the tick and you should see a medical professional immediately.

First Aid – If you find a tick on you, remove it immediately by soaking a cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and clean the area around the tick. Next, grasp the tick as close as possible with a pair of tweezers and gently pull it out. Once you have removed the tick, dispose of it by lighting with a match or flushing it down the toilet. Clean the infected area with rubbing alcohol and cover with a bandage if needed. If the tick bite is bothersome you can apply an ice pack to the bite. If you cannot remove the tick or left part of it’s body inside of you, seek medical help.

Have a safe and wonderful summer!
by carefair.com

Natural Skin Care Treatment in the Sun - To Block or Not to Block?

With summer now solidly underway we’re all using more sunblock. However, it has now been confirmed that absorption of the toxic chemicals in most sunscreens doesn’t stop at the skin: absorption continues right into the bloodstream and the organs. What are your options? Natural skin care treatment – including natural sunscreen and a good shielding lotion that helps keeps chemicals out.

The study, published in The Journal of Chromatography, tested four common sunscreen ingredients. The results showed that all of these ingredients were absorbed through the outer layer of the skin, and at least one of them penetrated through the skin to be later detected in the bloodstream and urine.

When you consider the number of years we use sunblock, this is not a healthy situation. What are your options? Any skin care treatment product should be free of toxic chemicals, and sunscreens are no exception. The combination of a natural sunscreen and a good shielding lotion should keep you well-protected, and healthy.

The best sunscreens contain minerals that deflect or reflect the sun. Titanium Dioxide is the most common sun reflector used in natural sunscreens. It bounces the UV rays off the body and thereby prevents sunburn and absorption.

The other ingredient you need in natural sunscreen is para amino benzoic acid (PABA) ester. Its primary function in sunscreen is to absorb the UV rays, thereby preventing them from penetrating to the skin. PABA is very safe. In fact, it’s part of the B vitamin family and is produced naturally from folic acid.

These ingredients provide an SPF of 25, and block both UVA and UVB rays.

Where does the shielding lotion come in? Right before the sunblock. A good shielding lotion bonds with the outer layer of the skin to form a protective layer that locks in natural moisture and prevents absorption of chemicals. And since it does not wash off in water, you can depend on its protection for hours without reapplying.

Protecting yourself with natural sunscreens and other natural skin care treatments could prevent skin cancer and the myriad of problems created by an overload of toxic chemicals. Choose the right products today, and it could save you years of worry and illness tomorrow.

by Professional Free Press Release News Wire

One in three do not protect their skin from the sun

More people than ever are worried about skin cancer yet one in three do not use sunscreen to protect their skin, a survey has revealed.

More than 75,000 new cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in the UK each year, and recent research predicts that the incidence of melanoma skin cancer will treble in the next 30 years.

Yet the The Institute of Cancer Research, who polled 2,000 people, found half of those surveyed did not know any signs of the disease.
The Institute's SAFE campaign found 60 per cent of those questioned were more worried about skin cancer now than they were ten years ago. But a third of people do not use sunscreen when sunbathing, one of the key ways to protect the skin from ultraviolet (UV) light and avoid skin cancer.

However, the message about the dangers of sunbeds (another source of harmful UV light) is getting through, with 82 per cent saying they do not use them.

Professor Richard Marais from The Institute of Cancer Research said: "These results reflect the fact that people are deeply concerned about skin cancer, but that many people still do not know how to look after their skin.

"The number of people getting skin cancer is rising dramatically, so it is vitally important that everyone is aware of how to protect themselves from the harmful rays of the sun.

"Most cases of skin cancer can be avoided, and if caught early enough the disease can be treated. That is why everyone should know the signs and symptoms of the disease and visit their doctor immediately if in any doubt."

About 2,000 people die from skin cancer every year in the UK. There are two types of the disease: melanoma and non melanoma. Non melanoma is the most common, affecting 67,000 people a year in the UK, and is usually treatable with surgery.

Melanoma is the more serious form, affecting 8,000 people in the UK every year. If not caught and treated early the cancer can spread to other parts of the body and be fatal.

Professor Peter Rigby, Chief Executive of The Institute of Cancer Research commented: "The Institute of Cancer Research is conducting cutting edge research to help find better treatments for skin cancer. Many important breakthroughs have been made but there is still much more to do. That is why we urge people to support the SAFE campaign so that we can keep up the good work."

To find out more about the SAFE Campaign log on to www.safe-campaign.org

What to look out for: If you notice any of the following changes you should visit your GP immediately:
• New sores and lumps that do not heal after a month
• Spots, sores or moles that bleed, itch, develop a crust or hurt
• Unexplained skin ulcers
• New or existing moles which appear to be growing or changing shape
• New or existing moles which are a range of shades of brown and black
• New or existing moles which are larger than 6mm in diameter
• New or existing moles which have jagged edges
by www.dailymail.co.uk