2017

Sunburns Suck! How to help protect your biscuits or ‘what your mommy gave you’ this summer and beyond

Sunburns Suck! How to help protect your biscuits or ‘what your mommy gave you’ this summer and beyond
Admittedly, I’m a self-proclaimed sun worshiper. I crave it all the time!

Oddly enough, I call my home the Pacific North West – a practical rain forest - but that doesn’t stop me from seeking the golden globe of warm goodness whenever I can.

My travels tend to take me south or to parts of the world where the sun likes to show itself on the regular. I’ll be the first to admit, I’ve NEVER been one to use sunscreen. (Don’t judge me – I know that’s so stupid of me and I’ve changed my ways)

I can’t stand the greasy, oily feeling I have on my skin when I use various lotions and sprays, and to top it off, I’m an active dude and you’ll rarely find me staying still when at the beach. You know from my previous articles and Facebook Live videos that I sweat a ton when I work out, so wearing a sunscreen that feels gross, or clogs my pores can make for a very uncomfortable workout.

So, when I was invited to try the new Coppertone Sport line, which has ‘been formulated to elevate your game, without compromising on aesthetics’ – I was intrigued and open to putting the claims to a test of my own. And test it I did!



A day of fun in the sun for me is a full-on excursion of activity -- hiking, biking, swimming, Frisbee, CrossFit, beach workouts… and that’s before lunch. I sprayed myself with Coppertone Sport Continuous Spray SPF 50 Sunscreen before heading out for the day to shoot a couple of Coppertone inspired beach workouts.

Doing a double-take questioning if the spray canister was working, I noticed the lightweight formulation barely left a trace on my skin, and then it was on my bike and off to the beach to film.

Thirty minutes into filming, with a glistening layer of sweat from head to toe, I realized something interesting – not once did I feel the sunscreen sting my eyes! Major props for that one, Coppertone. The rest of the shoot went off without a hitch, my skin felt great under the sun, no redness, blotches or breakouts, and most significantly my pores weren’t clogged - my skin could sweat, sweat, and sweat during the filming (*note, reapply after 80 minutes of sweating or swimming).

My opinion of sunscreen has changed after this experience, who would have known that I could do the right thing and protect myself against UVA/UVB rays, without a gross oily feeling? #CoppertoneForTheWin.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BT6QwzcjKSG/

All this fun-in-the-sun sunscreen testing got me thinking about ways that we can protect our skin. As much as we can protect from the outside, it’s equally important to have a preventative maintenance strategy from the inside-out too. Below I provide two very distinct maintenance plans. Take note, these will help you anytime you find yourself outside under the golden rays of awesomeness.


The Outside-In 5 Point Radiant Skin Maintenance Plan


Point 1: Moisturize with coconut oil


It is a fabulous, non-greasy moisturizer for your skin which soaks in almost immediately, and leaves skin hydrated and smooth. Another bonus is coconut oil kills the Staphylococcus Aureus bacteria, which causes infections of the skin. Not only does it moisturize is also disinfects.

Point 2: Practice Sun Safety


Shade, like a beach umbrella is not going to protect you from extended UV exposure. In January, JAMA Dermatology conducted a study that found sun-goers who used an umbrella alone to protect their skin were more likely to get sunburn than those who used sunscreen alone! Using multiple sun protection measures, starting with a layer of sunscreen, is the best way to ensure you protect your skin from immediate effects like sunburn, dry and itchy skin, as well decrease the risk of the long-term effects which can include photoaging and skin cancer. Coles Notes = wear your sunscreen and reminder to apply it every 2 hours!


Point 3: Self-Myofascial Release and Stretching It Out


Rolling and self-massage are key for your overall wellness, mobility , and function. The last thing you want is super tight IT bands, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves. The adage, ‘move it or lose it’, rings true when it comes to maintaining the ability for our skin to move well over our structures. If it doesn’t, dysfunction can occur.

Poor posture and faulty alignment can be due to a lifetime of repeated movements, such as driving a car, playing sports, or working at a desk. It can also develop after an injury, such as chronic lower back soreness, a sprained ankle, or a broken collarbone.

Over time, some movements will cause certain muscles to overpower weaker, or smaller, muscles. This leads to us compensating with other muscles, tendons, and structures to make up for the discrepancy. Implement a daily habit of working on your mobility and working your fascia.

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The below is a guided stretch routine from a past phase of the Whole Life Fitness Manifesto - give it a try!

https://youtu.be/VgmlMQPu4ms

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Point 4: Cleanliness is next to godliness


Besides all the health benefits of being physically clean (check out the list here from the CDC) there are some undeniable psychological benefits too. One particular study suggests : “…the notion of washing away one’s sins, entailed in the moral-purity metaphor, seems to have generalized to a broader conceptualization of wiping the slate clean, allowing people to metaphorically remove a potentially broad range of psychological residues.”

Point 5: Head-to-Toe Self Exams


The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends monthly head-to-toe exams of our skin so that we may find any new or changing lesions that may be cancerous or precancerous. Know your body! Be aware of how it looks and feels, and something to remember is that ‘skin cancers found and removed early are almost always curable’. Just remember this motto: “If you can spot it, you can stop it!”

As noted above, you can take a lot of precautions to protect your skin from the outside-in. However, equally important is your strategy for maintaining skin from the inside-out.

The Inside-Out 5-Point Skin Maintenance Plan


Point 1: Drink more water


Unfortunately, a lot of people are chronically dehydrated. Signs and symptoms of dehydration include fatigue, headaches, constipation, dizziness, and dry skin. Be sure you are getting between 2 and 3 liters a day, and on more active days, increase accordingly.

invest in your skin it is going to represent you for a very long time

Point 2: Get more sleep


Your body recovers and repairs as you sleep. Aiming for 7 hours a night versus 5 or less could result in half as many fine lines. Dr. Breus, Ph.D. of sleep, reminds us that “Sleep deprivation causes a decrease in blood flow to the skin surrounding your face. Skin becomes dull, and you don’t get those rosy cheeks anymore.” Harvard study

Point 3: Eat more Collagen


Adding more collagen protein into your diet can help give you beautiful looking skin and hair; relieve and prevent joint pain; reduces anxiety, promotes calmness, and aid in quality of sleep – just to name a few of the benefits.

Point 4: Anti-oxidants (think a green smoothie a day!)


Vitamins C, E, and the mineral selenium are believed to protect the body against the destructive effects of free radicals. ‘Antioxidants neutralize free radicals, so a diet rich in antioxidants and quality supplements are a great way to help combat these skin-aging nuisances’. Foods that are rich in antioxidants include pecans, goji berries, blueberries, artichoke, elderberries, cranberries, and dark chocolate to name a few.

Point 5: Vitamin D does a body GREAT!


Vitamin D3 optimizes the skin's immune system, and helps destroy free-radicals which can cause premature aging. Even though our body can produce vitamin D on its own through sun exposure, too much sun accelerates skin aging. That’s why using Coppertone Sport Line as directed with other sun protection measures, is the first step towards sun protection, and decreasing early signs of skin aging caused by the sun’s harmful rays.


The 8 Pounds You Never Want to Lose (or ‘release’)


Not only does your skin contribute to about eight pounds of your body’s weight, but it’s also the organ that is most exposed to the elements and is responsible for a multitude of things.

These include temperature regulation, protecting against dehydration, forming an important immune barrier, and defending your deeper internal structures against all kinds of injury. You must protect what your momma gave you, and the best way is to practice multiple in-to-out-to-in skin strategies. In short, keep your skin hydrated, clean, nourished, and protected, allowing you to continue doing all the daily activities and sun worshiping exercises all year round.

Now get out there and say hello to Mr. Sunshine from me!

This post is brought to you by Coppertone. To be sure these products are right for you, always read and follow the label.

[caption id="attachment_26342" align="aligncenter" width="920"]The perfect beach pack: Sunglasses, hat, and sunscreen... need I say more? The perfect beach pack: Sunglasses , hat, and sunscreen... need I say more?[/caption]




Dai Manuel - Headshot This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Coppertone. The opinions and text are all my own.

And to be absolutely clear, this is my disclaimer: “Just so you know, I have been compensated to share my ideas on this topic. Sometimes it is in the form of products, or services, or even money… But here’s the thing; I won’t share anything with you that I don’t fully support. It doesn't matter what it is, or how much they are willing to give me if I don’t believe in it, It won’t be on my site. Seriously. You’ll just have to trust me on this.”   ~ Coach Moose




 
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