Saving All Skin Tones From Sun Damage (NAPSA)—If you’re one of the millions of Americans with a rich skin tone, you might think you don’t need sun protection. Butit’s time to shed some light on that frequent misconception. People of African, Latin and South Asian descent have higher levels of melanin in their skin but still need daily protection from harmful UV rays. As with all inci- dents of sun exposure, skin cancer can occur if proper precautions are not taken. According to The Skin Cancer Foundation, the disease can be deadly for women with richer skin tones becauseit’s morelikely to go undetected. Sun exposure can also lead to other problems for women with more melanin in their skin. “Acne spots and melasma, which are more commonin darker skin tones, can worsen with sun expo- sure,” says dermatologist Jeanine Downie, M.D. To keep skin safe and protected at all times, she recommends adding a sunscreen with a high SPF to your daily skin care regimen. When selecting a sun- screen, it is important to select one with an SPF of at least 30, and it should contain photo-stabilized sunscreen technology to ensure that it doesn’t break down in the sun. A good pick is a sunscreen that is formulated with a stabilized sunscreen technology such as the Aveeno Continuous Protection Sunblock Lotion SPF 55. It offers broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVBrays, whichis necessary for total sun protection, as well as moisture-rich soy. For those who want to keep their skin care regimen to a minimum, Dr. Downie recommends using a daily moisturizer that has a sunscreen already in the formula. Protecting richer skin tones from the sun can also prevent the uneven pigmentation that can occur. The Ambiline offers a moisturizer with a stabilized sun-protection technology in the form of an SPF of 30. Ambi Even & Clear Daily Moisturizer with SPF 30 is designed for women with richer skin tones and includes ingredients such as soy, antioxidants and essential vitamins to help even skin tone and texture to reduce the appearance of skin discoloration, while offering protection from both UVA and UVB rays. The moisturizer was recently awarded The Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendationfor its ability to effectively and safely aid in the prevention of sun-induced skin damage. Dr. Downie also recommends reapplying sun protection throughout the day, wearing a hat when in direct sunlight, and screening your body to look for any changes in moles or birthmarks. And most importantly, see a dermatologist once a year for an annual body check to ensure that skin cancer is caughtin the early stages. For more information, visit www.aveeno.com or www.ambi skincare.com.
