Eucerin *Balancing Exposure to the Sun* Giveaway

I am so excited to have the opportunity to belong to the Eucerin Skin First Network…where I have the opportunity to represent Eucerin on The Mommy-Files.  Through the Eucerin Skin First Network, I will learn about new products from Eucerin and become educated on how to have the healthiest skin possible….as well as pass on this wealth of information to all of my readers.  You can visit Eucerin and take a pledge to put the health of your skin first…which is basically the initial starting point!

I love to sit out in the sun and feel the warmth of its rays hit my skin!  However, even though the sun provides us with vitamin D and a healthy outwards appearance, the sun’s rays can also inflict damage over both the short-term as well as over the course of our lifetime.  While sunburns and sunstroke are the most evident signs of over-exposure to the sun, we also need to be aware of the cumulative effects of sun exposure over the course of our lifetimes.  Did you know that up to 80 percent of our lifetime sun exposure is reached by the time we are 20 years old?  Wow!  As we get older, we have a naturally decreasing ability to repair the damage caused by sun exposure, so therefore, we need to take additional steps to properly maintain our skin as it becomes increasingly easier for it to burn, wrinkle, and develop cancers.

Our skin is our largest organ and sometimes we forget that it is our first line of defense against infections and diseases.  Over time, sun exposure can weaken our skin and suppress our immune systems.  This leaves our bodies more vulnerable to both skin diseases like cancer as well as viruses that can take advantage of our sun-weakened skin. 

By having a regular skincare routine, we can achieve more than just cosmetic benefits – we can both offset the damaging effects of the sun and enhance the health of our skin.

BALANCING EXPOSURE TO THE SUN

While basking in the sun can feel replenishing and bring us a sense of both mental and physical renewal, the amount of vitamin D our bodies need on a daily basis can be absorbed in the first 15 minutes of our exposure to the sun.  Here are some factors to take into consideration when planning your time in the sun.

**Factor #1 – SUNLIGHT**

– The strength of the sunlight is the main factor for the quantity of UV radiation your skin can be exposed to.  Latitude, altitude, time of day, season, and cloud coverage can all have a dramatic effect on the sun’s impact on our skin.  Even reflected sunlight from windows, pavement, water, snow, and sand can raise the risk of overexposure.

**Factor #2 – SKIN COLOR**

– As skin color is determined by the amount of melanin present in the skin, ethnicity can also play a large role in sun exposure.  Often a result of a group’s distance from the equatory (and its stronger sunlight), darker skins are more resistant to the effects of sunlight than fairer skins.  African-Americans, for example, are 20 times less likely to develop melanoma than those with white skin.  Coversely, one study found that African-American women aged 15 to 49 have more than 20 times the risk of vitamin D deficiency than Caucasians.  Different skin colors will react to UV rays at different speeds.  So one should be mindful of her (or his) skin’s susceptibilities when considering exposure time or adding protection.

**Factor #3 – SUNSCREEN**

– The strength of sunscreen is determined by its Sun Protection Factor (SPF), a number that measures the amount of UV radiation required to sunburn with the sunscreen on, relative to the amount that would burn skin with0ut it.  For example, SPF-15 allows about 1/15 (about 6%) of the UV rays that would penetrate the skin without the sunscreen on.  SPF-30 would allow 1/30 (about 3%) and so on.

This month, Eucerin is featuring Everyday Protection Body Lotion (Dry Skin Therapy) and Everyday Protection Face Lotion (Sensitive Skin).  You can find both of these lotions in stores near you.

Eucerin Everyday Protection Body Lotion provides both UVA and UVB protection, complete with SPF 15.    This lotion offers you the protection from incidental sun exposure and free radical damage while intensive moisturizers relieve your dry skin.

Eucerin Everyday Protection Face Lotion also provides both UVA and UVB protection, complete with SPF 30.  This lotion is a gentle, non-irritating way of protecting and moisturizing facial skin at the same time.

GIVEAWAY

Thanks to Eucerin, 1 lucky reader on The Mommy-Files will win a gift bag including a bottle of Eucerin Everyday Protection Body Lotion, a bottle of Eucerin Everday Protection Face Lotion, and a $50 gift card to the Sunglass Hut!!!

WIN IT!!! (MANDATORY ENTRY)

– Visit Eucerin and take the Pledge.  If you’ve already done so, let me know in your comment.

EXTRA ENTRIES:

– Vote for The Mommy-Files on Top Mommy Blogs (simply click on the button on the sidebar) – 1 ENTRY
– Follow The Mommy-Files on Twitter – 1 ENTRY
– Tweet about the giveaway – 1 ENTRY DAILY
– Become a Fan of The Mommy-Files on Facebook – 1 ENTRY
– Become a Fan of Eucerin on Facebook – 1 ENTRY
– Follow me through Google Connect (new on the right side of the blog) – 1 ENTRY
– Subscribe to my blog – 1 ENTRY
– Add my Mommy-Files button to your blog and include the URL – 1 ENTRY
– Comment on any Non-Giveaway post on The Mommy-Files – 1 ENTRY per post comment (no limit)
– Blog about this giveaway and include the URL – 5 ENTRIES

RULES:

– Contest will close at 11:59 p.m. PST on Tuesday, August 31st, 2010! Any entries after this time will be deleted!
– Contest open to U.S. residents only.

I received a gift bag from Eucerin to facilitate this campaign post.  All opinions expressed in this post are 100% mine.