I live for the summer.  In the spring, I count down the days until my last final and I miss it terribly during the fall.  I love the way the sun‘s rays touch my skin, I love reading novels lazily on the beach, my morning outdoor runs, and enjoying picnics and BBQs.  I love the skin-exposing, brightly colored fashions I get to wear.  I want nothing more than to be carefree during my favorite season, but unhappily I cannot be. There are two frightening words that come to mind whenever I’m wanting to bask in the sun and they are a constant reminder to apply sunscreen and limit my beloved time in the sun: skin cancer.

With that in mind it certainly is important to apply sunscreen, avoid tanning beds, and limit hours in the sunlight. But obvious these steps are not all that we can do to protect oneself from the sun’s damaging rays. It turns out that the foods we eat can have a protective effect!

The deal is this (and I am going to get a bit scientific here, so bare with me):  Cancer can only flourish in the body when cells that undergo free radical damage and the subsequent DNA damage (which happens when we spend too much time in the sun!) are unable to be repaired by the cell’s DNA monitoring and repair tools. Natural, plant based foods are rich in antioxidants and other cool, skin protecting chemicals, substances that are needed for these repair mechanisms to function most optimally.  Vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds and other “bright colored” foods are loaded with these protective substances. If one’s diet is low in vegetables and fruits, the body will not be supplied with enough nutrients for its cells to defend itself from oxidative damaged caused by UV radiation.  Studies have pointed to green vegetables especially, as skin cancer (and most cancers for that matter) fighting foods.

The concept of consuming a high-nutrient, plant based diet has been supported in an enlightening study conducted in Australia. Researches analyzed the diet, skin color, and sunlight exposure of 1,360 adults, aged 25-75, who participated in a community-based skin cancer study from 1992-2002. Two main eating patterns were identified: a meat and fat pattern and a vegetable and fruit pattern. Interestingly, the meat and fat pattern diet was positively associated with development of skin cancer, and even more strongly associated in participants with a skin cancer history. Increased consumption of the vegetable and fruit dietary pattern reduced skin cancer occurrence by 54%, with the protective effect mostly attributed to the consumption of green, leafy vegetables. In conclusion, the researchers deemed that a dietary pattern characterized by high meat and fat intakes increases skin cancer odds, while a dietary pattern characterized by higher consumption of green vegetables decreases it.

If you are thinking, “I don’t eat many fruits and veggies, or man oh man, I totally fit into the “meat and fat” group,” don’t sweat it.  Summer is the perfect time to try including more fruits and veggies in your diet. Cook a vegetable shish kabob or corn on the cob on the grill at your next BBQ, try a tossed salad for lunch or pack some fresh berries or watermelon with you on a picnic or at the beach.  Being away from icky dining hall foods and stressful school assignments that leave you with little time to prepare your own meals leaves you with more freedom to explore other eating options.

Added bonus? Eating more bright colored foods will help you stay slim and look great in a bikini!

Spring Break is coming, ladies! That’s right, it’s almost time for over-sized cocktails, flippy-floppies, and glistening college boys. Get excited!

That being said, it’s time to start preparing your beauty arsenal for SB 2010. And there’s a lot to think about. You want to make sure not to bring too much (you don’t want to be “that girl” with a whole separate duffel bag for her beauty supplies), but you also want to bring your cheaper products in case Boozy Suzy turns into a kleptomaniac. And, of course, you have to keep the sun in mind if you want to protect your skin and hair.

Hopefully this video will prepare you (beauty-wise, at least!) for the best Spring Break you’ll never remember!

About 60,000 people each year are diagnosed with some form of skin cancer, and we want to help you learn how to treat your red and itchy skin to avoid this! Well, that and show you some really easy ways to look cute despite being a different color than most members of the human race:

Keep skin hydrated: If your first shower after the beach left you with tears in your eyes because the water stung so bad, you need to keep your skin hydrated with lotion. The most soothing gels and lotions have aloe vera in them, and this will help soothe your skin and prevent itchiness (and therefore scratching and scarring). You can also use hydrocortisone if your burns are really bad.

Drink liquids with vitamins: Water helps to keep your skin hydrated, but is also really important to keep you hydrated after a long day in the sun. To get the most bang for your buck, be sure to drink things with vitamins C and E in them, as they are crucial in repairing damaged skin cells and ensuring that your body is healthy once your sunburn clears up.

Exfoliate: GENTLY buff away the dead skin. Don’t do this too roughly, as it will irritate your body, but just enough to make sure that the skin cells underneath are not trapped. And you’re not flaking off on your couch/bed/friends for the next two weeks.

See a doctor: This is only if you experience blisters, fever, faintness, dizziness, difficulty breathing, or nausea. This could be indicative of sun poisoning. Also, be sure to see a dermatologist regularly to get scanned for potentially harmful freckles and moles. The more often you do this (yearly?) the better your chances of catching anything serious early on.

Ugly tan lines: The next time you’re out in the sun, wear a wife beater over your top. You will not burn this way, and it still allows your arms to get some color while the lines on your shoulders even out. If you’re going out at night and want to disguise that burn line, think halter tops; they cover the same lines that will have burned in most bikini tops, and, let’s face it, they’re sexy as hell.

Make-up: Rub some foundation into your normal moisturizer (my choice is CoverGirl TruBlend). When you mix the two and apply moisturizer as you normally would, it hides any uneven skin tones and makes you look tan despite your UV mishaps. Spread it down your neck and across the tops of your shoulders so that you won’t look uneven, and carry a compact with you to pat down your skin if your make-up starts to run during the night.

WEAR SUNSCREEN EVERY DAY: This is the one that everyone complains about, but it’s the easiest thing to do. Pick up some moisturizer with SPF in it (I love Oil of Olay SPF 15 – It’s about $8.00 at any drugstore and works better than most of the high-end stuff). You can get burned even on a cloudy day, so make sure to apply this every morning so that you don’t have to think about your sun protection for the rest of the day. Furthermore, keep a sunscreen face stick (SPF 30 or 45) in your bag so that if you have to make an impromptu beach or pool run, you have something with you. These things weigh less than a cell phone and you can throw it in a pocket easily.

Remember, ladies: even wearing your sunglasses at night won’t cover up a bright red and peely face. So SPF it up, wear cover-ups, carry around shades, and remember that you can always get sunburned, so always be prepared!

Back in the day when Speedo one-pieces were cool, I had no interest in tanning. Although I fought through “sunscreen smear down” sessions with my mom, my skin was still, for the most part, shielded from the sun all summer long. It wasn’t until my friends started wearing bikinis and lots of Hawaiian tropic, that my Irish complexion got it’s first taste of sunburn. I quickly realized that getting the perfect tan wasn’t really in the cards for me…well unless I wanted to look like a leather handbag years later.

It’s scary how many times my skin has peeled, even blistered. I’ve accumulated many freckles, and one of them could easily be cancerous. At least that’s what I hear. Freckles appearing after a sunburn have been associated with an increased risk of melanoma skin cancer – the fatal kind. And even worse, it’s been estimated that nearly half of all Americans who live to age 65 will develop skin cancer at least once, according to MedicineNet.com.

Clearly we are all guilty of neglecting our skin for vanity’s sake. I mean, who doesn’t enjoy that bronzed glow? But ten, fifteen years from now, we’ll be kicking ourselves when the wrinkles, blotchy sun spots or melanoma develop.

So what can we do now to prevent further sun damage?

1. Always wear sunscreen, SPF 15 or higher, and reapply every 2 hours. Those of us who are fair-skinned, freckled, red-headed and blue-eyed really need to pay attention to this one since we are at more risk that our dark-skinned counterparts.
2. No more tanning beds. You know why!
3. Examine yourself regularly for abnormal skin growths or changes in existing moles and freckles. Self-examination can ensure an early detection of skin cancer.
4. Visit your dermatologist. It is recommended that everyone get a clinical skin exam annually, especially if you spot a new lump or mole.

I hate being a Debbie-downer before summer, but we need save our skin. So wear a higher SPF, go the self-tanning route — anything to keep that precious epidermis young and healthy.

For more information on skin cancer symptoms, please visit www.skincancer.org.

So yesterday I got my first sunburn of the year. (At least, I think it’s a sunburn – it may also be a result of my drunken face-plant…) Honestly, though, I’m not gonna complain ’cause Syracuse hasn’t seen the sun in months. I am, however, going to dust off the sun products that have been under my bed for the past 8 months.

If you want to prevent painful burns, wrinkles, sunspots and , most importantly, cancer, you really need to remember to preserve your skin. And preserving your skin means more than slopping on some SPF 4 when you lay at the beach. The sun can harm your skin at any time, so learn from my burned mistake (I was drinkin’ a beer outside) and protect yourself.

Below are some makeup products that include SPF built right in! I’m not suggesting this is a substitute for using sunscreen, but if you’re just going outside quickly, or want to add some extra protection you gotta try these great finds. Unless, of course, you want to look like this when you’re 30.

LORAC tinted moisturizer: This moisturizer is oil free and has SPF 30 built right in. 30! Most moisturizers only tout SPF 15, so this is great for you fair-skinned ladies. It comes in 5 colors and provides a sheer natural glow. Love it!

Cover FX cream foundation: This foundation is also SPF 30 and replenishes your skin. It comes in over 20 color choices so you’ll be able to find a perfect match.

Bare Escentuals Sun Proof Fun: Yes, your eyelids can get burned too. In fact, they are extremely sensitive and, take it from me, hurt like a mo-fo when burned. This little kit includes 4 colors in tan, brown, and pink shades, and is SPF 20 to protect those lids.

Fresh Sugar Lip Treatment: We often forget about our lips when it comes to protection from the sun; it’s not like we’re going to rub some Hawaiin Tropic on them. But lips can get burned – really burned – and need protection all the time. This balm will protect you with SPF 15 and is made with real sugar. It’s smooth, tasty, and moisturizing.

The Balm Balmshelter: This shiny gloss is SPF 17 (random?). It goes on smooth and comes in 12 colors with a delicious strawberry-banana taste. Perfect for summer (lovin’).

Last but not least, Sephora Sun Safety Kit: This 13 piece kit includes sample sized versions of all kinds of great sun products at only $22.50! Ah-mazing deal. It includes moisturizer, eye cream, lotion, and photo-finish. Best part? 100% of the profits go to The Skin Cancer Foundation. So test out some products, save your skin, and help others out at the same time!

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