Sunblock or Sun Damage? A Sun-Kissed Love Story

Sunblock or Sun Damage? Where do I begin to tell the story of how strong the sun can be? The sweet love story of my sunburn by the sea. The simple truth about the harms it brings to me. Where do I start?  

Sunblock, Sun protection: Skin Care for Men and Women by Lorelei Shellist

Sunblock, Sun protection: Skin Care for Men and Women,How to protect your skin from sun damage. Sun protection, Chemical-free sunscreens. UBPF clothing and more. Men’s Skin Care: By Find Bliss Style writer and Inner Beauty Empowerment Coach Lorelei Shellist 

                                                                  
I spent my childhood playing in the sand and sun. Catching waves at Will Rogers State Beach on red-and-blue inflatable canvas mats was a thrill. In our early teens, my girlfriends and I would compete all summer long to see who could get the best tan. Our concoction of mercurochrome, an orange/ brown colored iodine with baby oil was the magical recipe to literally baste and burn our pre-pubescent bods, like chicks in a frying pan. Sunblock was not cool, unless you didn’t mind sporting a white zinc oxide stripe down the middle of your nose and across your cheeks warrior-style like the surfers and volleyball players. It was all we could do to achieve the exotic, “Bain de Soliel for the St. Tropez tan” coveted at the time.
I’ll never forget the day I came home and had to peel off my bikini ever so gently because I’d burned my skin so badly. My father literally threw me in the shower and doused me with vinegar to get the sting out. I screamed and then spent the next weeks molting like a reptile shedding its skin. Not a pretty sight.
I began my own skin- care practice where daily cleansing, moisturizing, and make-up foundation was the new regime that protected my face from the sun.”
Fortunately I’ve come a long way from those irrational, beauty faux pas. I started my modeling career at 14, spending time in big cities, far away from the sand and the sun. I began my own skin-care practice where daily cleansing, moisturizing, and make-up foundation was the new regime that protected my face from the sun. I’ve been faithful to this practice ever since, and I believe I’ve managed to age as gracefully as possible, though much of the damage was done long before any of us knew any better.
Even though I’ve been loyal to my skin ever since, a few years ago, my dermatologist, Dr. Bradley J. Friedman, had to remove basal and squamous cell carcinomas, from the top of my ear ever so delicately. We continue to monitor my ear regularly as cancers grow and those UV rays will continue to wreak havoc in the most unassuming places!
Message for Men: Wear Sunscreen. Statistics show nearly twice as many American men have died from melanoma as women. Surveys show that 34 percent of men wear sunscreens, compared to 78 percent of women. I can’t count the times I‘ve urged my beloved to wear sunscreen. At the risk of acting like his mother, I am adamant about it…but it’s really up to him to take care of his skin. Recently, I noticed a pale freckle, the size of a dime appear on the end of his nose. I encouraged him to make an appointment with his doctor then and there. Sure enough, his doctor took a biopsy that resulted in two stitches on the end of his nose. Three appointments later, melanoma has been ruled out.
For more information on Chemical-free sunscreens: ewg.org – Melanoma: melanomafoundation.org Sun-protective clothing: skincancer.org Dermatologist: Los Angeles: gr8skin.com Tinted sunblocks: PRESCRIBED solutions or falleneskincare.com
Sun Care Tips:
1. Use Nontoxic, Organic, Sunblock! Apply sunblock daily when you brush your teeth. Use SPF of at least 15-50 with mineral-based ingredients. Avoid para- bens and use unscented lotion-based and water resistant for the body. Best choices are non-nano or broad spectrum with UVA and UVB protection.
2. Cover up! Wear wide-brimmed hats, sunglasses, and sun-protective UBPF clothing (Ultraviolet Protection Factor).Try UBPF brands like Coolibar, Solumbra, or Columbia, and in the surf always wear and use rash guards.
3. Stay in the shade! Use umbrellas, canopies or child tents to avoid the sun.
4. Keep sun exposure to a minimum. Hu- mans are exposed to more UV radiation during longer summer days, but on a sunny, winter day you can still sun- burn. Temperature does not dictate the amount of UV radiation being emitted.
5. Check your Skin! There are some simple ways that you can detect the early signs of a cancerous skin tumor; look to make sure your mole (a small brown growth on the skin) is not a danger by using the “ABCD” rule:
= Asymmetry. Does one half of the mole look like the other?
= Border Irregularity.  Are the edges smooth and regular or crooked?
= Color. Is the color uneven?
= Diameter. Is it larger than one centimeter?

Bring your style to life!

By: Lorelei Shellist for Find Bliss Magazine

 

About Lorelei

Lorelei Shellist brings new meaning to the definition of "super model." Drawing from her own experiences as a runaway teen who followed her dream to travel the world and become an international couture model. Lorelei's delightful wit and sense of humor (as well as her "perfect fit" measurements) enabled her to serve as a graceful and spirited muse for top designers such as Karl Lagerfeld, Yves St. Laurent, Christian LaCroix, Bob Mackie, Geoffrey Beene and Giorgio Armani. Lorelei writes candidly and boldly about life as a runaway, model, and her struggles with her fiancé’s addiction titled, "Runway RunAway A Backstage Pass to Fashion, Romance & Rock 'N Roll." Her life experiences have enabled her to pursue her passion to inspire others with her story of survival and success. Her intrinsic connection with others has led Lorelei towards counseling Women in Prison and At-Risk Teens, teaching critical “Life Skills.” As a fashion expert, Lorelei encourages women to attract appropriate attention though Conscious Dressing while having fun expressing themselves with what they wear. A graduate of the Masters Program in Spiritual Psychology at the University of Santa Monica, her appeal crosses many demographics and is particularly appealing to the baby boomer generation who have grown up inundated with confusing and contradictory mass media messages.

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