That's Fit

During the summer, my son goes to day camp . It's an awesome camp -- very structured, very active, and he always comes home with stories of the fun things he did that day. Last Thursday they went on a field trip to the beach. My son came home prickly and hot from a sunburn. (They applied sunscreen on all the kids when they got to the beach, but never reapplied throughout the day. I bet there were a lot of sunburned kids that day!)

But what exactly happens to your skin when you get burned? After exposure to the sun, your capillaries dilate, causing the skin to appear pink. Then, skin cells release a chemical that triggers inflammation. Within 12 hours, skin cells begin to die and the inflammation reddens. A tan forms when your skin cells release a pigment to help block your skin from UV rays. (And, no, you shouldn't consider a tan "protection" from the sun. Burn or tan, it all boils down to one thing -- skin damage.)

So take steps to protect your skin from the sun. If you do get burned, Bethany has some tips.

Throughout your life, your skincare needs change. As you entered puberty you required certain products to combat acne, and as you entered adulthood, perhaps the acne was no longer an issue, but you started having dry skin issues. That's totally normal.

Also normal is a change in your skincare needs as you age. You experience a decline in hormone levels, which affects your skin, causing it to dry out -- these changes generally begin to take place as a woman enters her 40s. Dry skin isn't the only problem, however -- at the same time, women begin to see more wrinkles, sagging, and age spots. Needless to say, the cleansers and moisturizers you used in your 20s are no longer the most effective choice.

My friend, Debbie, had the opportunity to try out some products by Emerita geared toward the specific skin problems of mature women and was very happy with the results, which is saying something because she has sensitive skin and is prone to allergic reactions. And so, for today's Fit Beauty feature, I thought I would share her experiences with you.

I used to work at a large software company. There was a woman who worked in a different department and I always was impressed with her appearance. She was in enviable shape. Also, she was just always so put together and nice looking. I guessed she was in her late 50's or so. Later on I found out that she was only 31. 31! Her hours upon hours (or years upon years) in the tanning booth had wreaked so much damage on her skin that she had aged herself by 20 or more years.

Today it's common knowledge that we should apply sunscreen and practice other sun safety measures. But if you're of a certain age (ahem... my age) you remember the days of slathering baby oil on and laying out in the backyard for hours. If you used to worship the sun and your skin is showing signs of damage, there are things you can do:

• Use sunblock every day -- whether it's sunny or not.
• Apply cleansers or moisturizers with antioxidants, glycolic acids, and retinoids.
  
• Use a night repair product.
• Eat healthfully and exercise (it really can improve your skin).

If you have any particularly worrisome spots or irregularly shaped patches of darker skin, be sure to see your doctor.

Ever hit the sack without washing your face? You might want to rethink your habits.

Would you consider your job stressful? Do you blame your career for any of your skin problems and signs of aging? Are you having a hard time finding a skin routine that really works?

I realize that stress comes from all different areas in life, but I swear that 90% of mine has always come from my work. I'm 30 years old and just started to finally get really serious about skincare, and I would love to know just how many of my wrinkles were first formed somewhere back in my employment history. I just know that those 12-hour nursing shifts and that boss who used to turn bright red while yelling out commands must account for at least half of them!

SELF magazine and Neutrogena are teaming up to spread the word about summer skin care. Choose from four e-card designs and send messages about sun safety to your friends and family. They're keeping a state-by-state tally of how many e-cards were sent -- more cards equals more donated money for skin cancer charities.

Stay in the shade when possible, but even when the day seems overcast, don't forget your sunscreen. Remember to wear sunglasses that block UV-A and UV-B rays as well. Wide-brimmed hats and clothing that protects your skin are also good options. Check out the gallery for more summer sun safety tips.

My mom is one of those hard-to-buy-for types. She and my dad are, thankfully, in a position where if they need or want anything, they can go out and get it. But when birthdays and holidays like Mother's Day roll around, it leaves my siblings and me with very few options. This year, I think I'll try to give my mom something in keeping with her healthy lifestyle. If you're thinking along the healthy lines for Mother's Day gifts too, here are some ideas to consider:

• A day at the spa. Moms rarely take time for themselves. Give your mom a gift certificate for the spa and help her relax.
• Skin care. Whether you give a face mask, moisturizer, hand lotion, or cleanser, skin care gifts are always appreciated.

It may be a bit premature to start talking about sun safety, but it will be summer before we know it. Well, that's not entirely true -- the calendar is a pretty good indicator of when summer is here, so we'll be quite aware. Oh yeah, plus the temperature will jump up to the 80's and 90's (maybe even higher, depending on where you call home), so I think it's safe to say that summer will arrive just when we expected it to.

With that being the case, part of being prepared for the solstice is knowing how to protect yourself against the elevated risk of skin cancer during this time of year.

Start by limiting your exposure to only 15 to 20 minutes of direct sunlight. This doesn't mean that you have to be a vampire, waiting until dark to leave your house because you've already been outside for 20 minutes. What it does mean is that you would do well to not fall asleep while lying on your beach blanket. Next, be sure to drink plenty of water. It will help prevent dehydration and also protects the skin. You may also want to drink some coffee, since caffeine was shown in laboratory studies to reduce the risk of UV-induced skin cancer in mice. And lastly, don't forget that sunscreen -- as effective as it seemingly is -- does not last forever. A good sized glob of SPF15 will only last about 30 minutes, at which point you should apply more and/or head for some shade.

When things get hectic and crazed around my house, my old stand-by dinner is invariably whole-wheat spaghetti and marinara sauce with added veggies. It's quick, easy, always a hit with my son, and passable nutrition-wise. It turns out my "old faithful" dinner also has benefits for the skin.

Researchers have determined that antioxidants in tomatoes help protect the skin against UV rays. Lycopene, one of the antioxidants found in tomatoes, has previously been linked to a reduction in prostate cancer risk. The skin benefits are just the icing on the cake... or the sauce on the spaghetti. Participants in the study ate up to 55 grams of tomato paste daily. In addition to the UV protection, lycopene may also be linked with anti-aging properties.

Lycopene is found in many other red fruits and vegetables including watermelon, guava, and pink grapefruit.

It amazes me sometimes how technology is always searching to create new chemicals and compounds to help us look younger and take better care of our skin when sometimes the best products are based on the most natural things.

Have you ever considered lily extract for soothing and balancing out problem skin? I admit I haven't, or at least hadn't until I read this article over at Natural Health. Most commonly used for its fragrance, lily extract also has antioxidant and antiseptic properties that make it a natural for skin care. It moisturizes, softens, clarifies, and even minimizes pores.

Look for for "lily extract" or "tincture of lily flower" on the label.

In most parts of the U.S., the sun is starting to shine a little more brightly, encouraging us to come out and play. Not only does the warm weather get us all frisky and ready to tackle all kinds of fun outdoor activities -- a change of season is also a reminder to take a look at our current skincare routine to make sure we're still meeting our skin's needs.

It should go without saying, but I'm still going to say it -- first and foremost, make sure you're applying sunscreen every time you go outside. Hats and sunglasses will help protect your face from sun damage, too, but it's a good idea to get into the habit of applying a moisturizing sunscreen every morning.

I always had good skin. The kind of skin people complimented. And, really, who bothers to compliment skin? And then I turned 30 and all those years of good skin and doing nothing to deserve it came back to bite me. All of a sudden a wrinkle appeared in between my eyes where I have the unfortunate habit of furrowing my brow. And my pores? Well, let's just say if they got any bigger small families might be able to camp in them. So I was pretty happy to see Prevention's list of 100 Ways to Look Younger.

Check out the gallery for some of my favorite tips:

A study conducted at the UK's Bath University concluded that people who have a problem with acne are less likely to excel in sports or other physical activities. It's not because of any lack of ability, it's strictly because acne can affect someone's self esteem to a point that they will avoid signing up for sports. The study followed 50 adults who were part of an acne support group.

I wasn't at all surprised to read this. In my opinion it's not a result of the acne necessarily, but a result of the reduced self esteem. (Which, for those included in the study, was largely a result of their acne.) Other triggers for self esteem issues -- obesity, etc -- can also be cited as the reason for not joining sports or working out. Whatever the impetus, it's unfortunate that anyone sidelines themselves because of social anxiety.

How about you? Have you ever had a problem that made you nervous about joining a sport?

At some point or another we all suffer from puffy eyes, and they inevitably time their appearance before an important day at work, a social gathering, or worse yet a big date. Of course there are all kinds of beauty masks out there, and home remedies like using cucumbers or teabags, but if those don't work for you is there anything else you can try? Natural Health enlisted the help of massage therapists from a spa in New York City for advice, and they had this interesting technique to share:

• Place your index fingers in the depressions a half-inch below the inner edge of your eyebrows, below the brow bone (on either side of the narrowest part of your nose), and gently press in and upward (see a picture here).
• Hook your index fingers over the edge of the infraorbital ridge (the bone below each eye) at the very center, aligned with your pupils, and apply gentle pressure on the ridge.

Ugh, who isn't dealing with dry skin in some form during this time of year? Besides anybody lucky enough to be living in southern California or Hawaii? That's what I thought. Practically nobody.

One of the biggest reasons we all seem to have more dry skin this time of year than, say, during the summer is because of all the dry air. Cold air holds less moisture anyway and then we go pumping dry heat into our homes and make it even worse. Check out these other top causes of dry skin and see if you aren't inadvertently sabotaging yourself and making yourself miserable this winter -- spring is still a ways away!