Sun protection: Received ideas
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We all love the grace of the sun. From its light comes vitamin D, essential for fixing calcium and phosphorus in our body. It boosts our morale, whips our energy and warms our moments of sharing on the terrace.
But before you lounge on your towel and stroll with your family under the blazing sun, we suggest you take a quick look at the sun before the big holiday.
We often take part in conversations fueled by false beliefs about sun protection. Chimeras that are passed down from mother to daughter, which it is high time to put an end to!
It doesn't matter, we'll wear a t-shirt!
For example, wearing a simple cotton t-shirt as a shield against the sun. As a reminder, these rays filtered by our ozone layer, which tends to be anorexic, are responsible for delayed burns, premature aging of the skin and the appearance of skin cancers. While the cotton of a t-shirt lets through 1 in 5 rays and loses half of its effectiveness once wet, a UPF 50 certified anti-UV t-shirt (i.e. letting through only 1 in 50 rays) guarantees effective sun protection by filtering 98% of UV rays.
There are currently two ways to make a fabric anti-UV. The most common is to stuff the model with chemical filters, to make it affordable for the consumer. The problem? Studies have shown that the wetter or more stretched the fabric is, the more the chemical filters fade. Ultimately, the more your child swims, the less protected they will be against UV rays!
The second way to immunize yourself against the harmfulness of the sun's rays is through the mesh of fibers. Namely, the two "naturally" most effective fabrics are jeans and corduroy, known for their particularly dense meshes. Very effective in the city, we have serious doubts about the comfort and possible future of a denim bikini with pockets!
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It doesn't matter, we'll put some cream on!
In the sun protection family, we would also like to play the cream card. This other preconceived idea that recommends an almost frenetic frequency, during exposure. According to the law of marketing, we should coat our child's skin with 5 sprays per arm, every two hours! Which represents 5 to 6 tablespoons for the entire body... Nice mummy look.
If we follow this process, a recent study has shown that it would cost the astronomical amount of 2500 euros for a tribe of 5 people on vacation for a month. It is not surprising that brands see millions of tubes being sold each year. Apart from its astronomical cost, it has been proven that sunscreen can be ineffective, or even dangerous for the health of our skin. According to an American association (EWG), only 1 in 4 products would be equipped to counter the adverse effects of the sun.
The second way to immunize yourself against the harmfulness of the sun's rays is through the mesh of fibers. Namely, the two "naturally" most effective fabrics are jeans and corduroy, known for their particularly dense meshes. Very effective in the city, we have serious doubts about the comfort and possible future of a denim bikini with pockets!
Worse still, some bottles offer, within reach of a spritz, a delicious melting pot of preservatives, carcinogenic chemical particles and endocrine disruptors, having an alarming impact on our well-being and that of the marine ecosystem.
The amount of sunscreen that is dumped into the world's seas each year is estimated at between 6,000 and 14,000 tons. Corals are bleaching, species are disappearing. No wonder the Hawaiian archipelago wants to ban this poison from its waters.
It doesn't matter, we're going to Brittany!
The famous adage that suggests that no one needs to make arrangements under a shady sky will not be spared either. We secretly say to ourselves: "It's not too hot, I could have a little nap on the beach. Umbrella in the trunk."
Just because we chose to spend our holidays in Belle-Île or Quimper, doesn't mean our health capital won't be damaged by the sun's rays. Quite the contrary. The proof is that in 2014, Brittany recorded 1,305 cases of melanoma, which is 3 times more than the national average.
But what are UVA and UVB and why all the fuss?
Because they penetrate our skin and are found guilty of many ailments. UVA and UVB are waves of different lengths. UVB - of medium wavelength, are mainly responsible for delayed burns and are mostly stopped in the epidermis. UVA attacks our skin deep down until it hits the dermis, and are responsible for the development of skin cancers in the long term.
And what does UPF mean then?
Cosmetic brands have long talked about SPF (Sun Protection Factor), or even "total sunscreen", which is no longer authorized in Europe because no lotion has the power to protect you radically from the sun.
With the arrival of tanning booths in the 90s, a real awareness of UV rays developed and a new unit of measurement called UPF (Ultra-violet Protection Factor) appeared in Australia. Initially used to measure the effectiveness of textiles against UV rays, cosmetic companies will gradually also develop creams, whose level of sun protection would reach the maximum, a UPF of 50 +. Strange, my dear Watson?
From this sad observation, emerges the mad desire to save one's skin. We all have a very different solar capital that is specific to each individual. The CNRS defines it as "all of the skin's means of defense against the harmful effects of the sun". Acquired at birth and non-renewable, it depends on the type of skin and its sensitivity to exposure. And when the sun capital reaches the reserve, the damaged cells cannot regenerate and that's where things get complicated. Especially for our toddlers.
A tanned child in the 80s was common, even banal. Today, the phenomenon has become "has been" and we can only validate it. Did you know that a child consumes more than half of the radiation supposed to be received in a lifetime, before the age of 20? Our kids suffer just as much because the cells of their fine skin do not benefit from the same repair capacity as those of adults. The sun is a formidable enemy for their fresh flesh.
The dermatologists' solution? Dress your little one in an anti-UV t-shirt, certified UPF 50 +. This sun protection index guarantees to counter at least 95% of UVB and 98% of UVA. Interesting, when you know that 60% of risk areas are concentrated on the back, arms and torso of our little darlings.
It is to respond to this observation that CANOPEA has created a line of anti-UV and eco-friendly swimsuits for children. The secrets of the recipe? 0% chemical filter or harmful substance for 100% recycled fibers. CANOPEA anti-UV swimsuits provide sun protection thanks to a mesh worthy of the most beautiful jeans, but in a lightweight version! Easy to put on, they dry in the blink of an eye. Sleek and made in Europe, all models are designed in compliance with working conditions, from European fabrics certified UPF50+ and Eco-tex. Put to the test for more than 200 hours in chlorinated and salt water, nothing can resist them! CANOPEA is committed to being more responsible for our bodies, responsible for the health of our children and responsible for the survival of corals. So, shall we click?/p>
To learn more about sun protection and the history of tanning, visit here .
