Protect Your Skin

As I write this, its not exactly summer weather but we saw a glimpse of it here in Chicago and have been promised it will return soon!! One important thing that many younger adults forget in the summer is the importance of skin care, and skin protection. A big part of your health starts with your first layer of defense, your skin. You may think "I'm young, skin cancer does NOT effect me". Well there are numerous cases of the deadliest cases of skin cancer in adults in their early twenties. Not sure if we can equate that to a  "tanning generation" or just a lack of sunscreen use. The scariest part is that those who are melanoma survivors are at a higher risk for other cancers, such as prostate, breast, and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 

Regardless of the reasons and statistics for skin cancer, we can take precautions against it, and to try and protect our skin. Below are some GREAT tips to keep mind this summer to keep your skin healthier and looking younger.

Drink Up that H20-Remember that water has many benefits in the heat and sun but it also helps to keep your skin hydrated. Remember to drink at least eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day, and if you drink caffeine you need to drink triple that amount in water. Water helps to maintain good moisture balance in your skin. Also important for your overall health, it helps to detox your body of toxins.

Moisturize- Its important in any season, to moisturize your skin. Moisturizing your skin helps to soothe dry skin, and can also act as a bit of protection against the elements. Its best to buy a face moisturizer with sunscreen in it, to protect your face against sun damage. 

Always Wear Sunscreen- Even on a cloudy day you can get a little sunburn so remember to always wear sunscreen. You will need to modify the amount to higher coverage or amount depending on your expose to sun and the elements. And remember if you are at the beach, it will wash off so remember to reapply. 

Watch that Window- In the summer you should not be out in direct sunlight from 10am-3pm. If you do have to be in the sunlight be under a umbrella or wear a cover up and wear a high level SPF. If you can avoid that window of time the sun wont be as harsh on your skin. 

Soothe the Skin- So it happened, you took all the precausions and you still got a little sunburn. Its important to make sure to immediately soothe your skin with cool gels such as aloe vera. Its important to soothe the skin right away because you do not want it to blister. Just one blistering sunburn doubles your chance of melanoma.

Check Yourself- Make sure to keep an eye on your skin, and the moles that you do have for changes in color and size. Exposure to sun can change the size and color. Catching melanoma early can improve the odds. So check your skin often, and see a dermatologist every year to check your skin for abnormalities too.


Skin health is probably something that a lot of you have not equated to health and fitness. But you can be living a health lifestyle, eating healthy, being active and working out, but if you don't consider and take care of your skin, all that hard work will be in vain. So remember this is not just an issue of your beauty and, the first thing people see but its also a foundation to your health.