Sunscreen | Geek Life: Augmenting Reality

Did you know we have an awareness week for the sun from June 1st to 7th? Most of us see it everyday, or at least know its there, just behind the clouds (unless you're reading this in Antarctica between the months of March and September,) but despite such familiarity, do you really know the sun? I'm seeing it's work right now as I type up this article. I'm in my office with all of my lights off, simply as they're not needed, while its such a gorgeous day outside. It's bright and sunny both outdoors and inside my office as the sunlight reflects off of everything outside, giving a burst of natural light into my room, which I adore. There are facts about the sun though, that up until this point, I've chosen to ignore simply because it was getting too difficult to separate them from the ever increasing myths. Do you remember when your mom would get out the SPF 8 for your trip to the beach? I had seen an SPF 100 last year, and had to wonder if it was really necessary. Out of absolute confusion, I gave up on trying to figure out the correlation of the sun and skin health for years, but then Ombrelle invited me to a brunch recently to discuss the facts, and boy did I learn something new! https://instagram.com/p/2_KFk0qu-e Did you know Ombrelle is Canadian? Its in fact, only available in Canada. First developed in Quebec, and originally only available in doctors' offices; Ombrelle became one of the first to concentrate on a broad-spectrum protection for both UVA/B rays (most sunscreens only concentrated on UVB which is the cause of burns.) It's also celebrating 25 years of helping keep us Canadians safe from those harmful sun rays. https://instagram.com/p/2_FexIqu2J UVA protection is actually not involved in the SPF count at all. SPF is all about UVB and how much protection you'll get for burns. UVA is what is connected to skin aging concerns, attributed to the cause of skin cancer. Which lead to one scary notion brought up at the brunch: you can have a really high SPF count and still have no protection against UVA rays. You could believe you're doing everything possible to protect yourself and your family from rays that are truly harmful to the health of your skin, and wind up actually not being protective at all. According to Dr. Khanna, Consulting Dermatologist to Ombrelle, the SPF # on a product is only related to the UVB protection. UVA rays represent 95% of the rays reaching the skin's surface. They are 100 times more abundant and penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB rays. UVA rays are the ones responsible for accelerated skin aging, furrowed brows, deep wrinkles, skin rashes, skin yellowing and cancer. When shopping for sunscreen, find this logo (below) on the packaging to ensure you're buying a product that has a significant amount of UVA protection. As its brand new for 2015, not every bottle in the Canadian market that has at least 30% of ingredients to protect from UVA rays, will have this logo. You may find product that was produced last year on the shelves today, so you might have to do a little extra research to find out if your sunscreen meets the new logo requirements. Alternatively though, only a few brands today can claim that their formula actually reaches at least 30% for UVA protection. Ombrelle was adamant over brunch that they were more concerned to get the word out that not all sunscreens have the same protection for UVA, even if their labels state "Broad Spectrum Protection", over simply selling their product. While it would be nice if Canadians turned to Ombrelle for the sun protection needs, they are more concerned that their neighbours are aware of UVA / UVB / SPF facts, and simply want to make sure everyone is well protected during Sun Awareness Week. Visit the fun and informative Ombrelle Sun Facts website to get all the facts you need to stay protected while enjoying the sun! https://instagram.com/p/2_GHorKu3F Ombrelle has come out with two new products that include the UVA logo for easy shopping this summer. Ombrelle 100% Mineral SPF 50+ Lotion for Kids - which as it says right on the box, it's a sun filter made up of 100% natural origin, most notably titanium dioxide. Ombrelle Ultra Light Advanced SPF 50+ Weightless Body Lotion - which truly feels light when applied! Did you learn something new about sun protection today? While sunscreen is awesome, also remember to wear larger-than-life hats and long sleeved clothing whenever possible too. Stay safe while you're out having fun this summer!

Tag: Sunscreen

Sun Awareness Week & 25 Years of Ombrelle

Technology. Collectibles. Travel.

Technology. Collectibles. Travel.