Health
In 1980s people started to read about the effects the sun's ultraviolet rays have on their health
Sun-kissed or Sun-cursed?
VICKI GILHULA
Summer 2008 |
In the Roaring Twenties, Coco Channel made a fashion statement after she returned from a holiday in southern France looking bronzed and beautiful.
A glowing tan came to represent health and wealth. The upper classes could take holidays in warm places and enjoy their leisure time playing golf and tennis, or at the beach.
For the next five decades having a tan was a status symbol for people with fair skin (and it still is). It wasn’t until the 1980s that people started to read about the effects the sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays have on their health. It would take a few more years before they started to believe those warnings.
UV radiation damages the skin’s epidermal cells. Repeated, unprotected exposure to the sun can cause wrinkles, sagging skin, age spots, and cataracts.
Health Canada warns sunburn, either from the sun’s rays or from tanning beds and lamps, has been linked to the risk of non-melanoma skin cancers and malignant melanoma.
Most skin cancers start in areas that are exposed most often to sun: the head, neck, hands and arms.
Despite the dangers of sun-worshipping, many people still soak up the sun because they think they look healthier and more attractive with “a bit of colour.”
The American Skin Cancer Foundation says there is no such thing as a safe tan.
People are advised to enjoy their time in the sun (or using a tanning bed) in moderation, to be informed about the risks, and to use protection such as sunscreen to minimize risk.
There are hundreds of products on the market for people who want to tan as safely as possible and for those who want to look sun-kissed. Suntan lotions, sunblocks, after-tan creams, and sunless tan (or self-tan) products are sold at the corner store, the supermarket, every drug store, and as part of exclusive skin lines at beauty spas.
“I think it is safe (to spend time in the sun) if you take the proper measures to stay protected,” says Jennie Dechaine, an esthetician at the Yves Rocher Beauty Centre in the New Sudbury Centre (photo left).
Yves Rocher’s line of sun lotions and sunscreens is called Protectyl Soleil.
Lotions have just enough SPF (Sun Protection Factor) to protect skin from damage while sunscreens have higher SPF values to block damaging rays.
The line also includes an after-sun lotion and gel to keep skin moist which helps preserve the tan. These products contain aloe vera to reduce tightness and itching.
Yves Rocher also has a line of botanical sunless tanners for the face and body called Bronze Nature with skin-enhancing tiare flower estract.
Self-tanners have dyes that tint the topmost layer of skin. Dechaine advises people to exfoliate well before using self-tanners to get rid of dead skin.
The Yves Rocher spa offers a 45-minute exfoliate and sunless tanning application package for $45. Prices for the sun protection and self-tanning products range from $13 to $22.
Self-tanning products need to be reapplied according to directions or the colour will fade after a few days. The products are much improved from what was available on the market 20 years ago, so there’s no need to worry about turning “orange.”
People using self-tanning products still need to wear UV protection when they go out in the sun.
To enhance a tan or to give a pale face a healthier glow, women can always rely on bronze powder, foundation and lipsticks.
Dechaine recommends coming into the shop to try the shades which range from light, medium and dark in ensure a natural look.
