With summer in full swing, many embark on that beloved event so common this time of year: vacation.

Conjuring up images of wind-swept beaches and balmy nights, or, if you prefer – camping and nature hikes, one thing is for certain: taking a break to relax and enjoy family and friends is inviting. Most of us have grown up worshipping the sun in one form or another: be it playing at camp each day, or 'working' on our desired tans as adolescents.

Linda Vitale, a Montville resident disclosed that "As a kid, we used baby oil and iodine to accelerate our tans. These days, I use a sunscreen to prevent a burn."

No stranger to the beach, I always found the warmth of the sun's rays and the sound of waves lapping up on the shoreline to be the ultimate path to calming bliss. The sun can be friend or foe, and taking precautions to practice 'safe sun' all year round is essential.

As a licensed skin care specialist, I have seen my share of sun damaged skin, and I've also known numerous people, (clients, co-workers, friends, and even a close family member) who developed various forms of skin cancers, including melanoma, a potentially deadly form.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, even one blistering sunburn in childhood (under age 18) more than doubles a person's chance of developing melanoma as an adult. Therefore, it is vitally important to protect yourself and your children from sun overexposure, but in the safest manner possible.

Much controversy has arisen in recent years as to the safety of ingredients in sunscreen product. The following information is meant to be informative, and to broaden your knowledge of sun protection products. The decisions you reach as a result will, of course, be yours to make.

Area resident Carol White expressed confusion about what the SPF number really signifies. "People want a better understanding of exactly what an SPF number means as far as protecting your skin," White said.

An SPF (Sun Protection Factor) number pertains only to measuring UVB rays (which cause sunburn and skin cancer), but does not deal with UVA rays (linked to wrinkles, sun spots and more recently, skin cancer). Theoretically, the SPF number you see on the bottle represents the length of time you are able

to stay in the sun without burning, as multiplied by the SPF number. For example, a person who would normally start to burn in only ten minutes would be able to stay out 150 minutes before starting to burn, with an SPF of 15.

Unfortunately, factors such as sweating, water sports and insufficient amount of product applied all factor into making actual 'safe' time much less. Active ingredients used in sun protection products have been under scrutiny for some time. Chemical sunscreens, such as Benzophenones, Methoxycinnamate and homosalate, work by absorbing the sun's rays on the skin, supposedly rendering it harmless, but questions have been raised as to their safety.

Reportedly, dangers of being free radical generators, hormone disrupters and potential carcinogens are top concerns.

Physical sunblock ingredients (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide) work differently by sitting on top of the skin and deflecting the sun's harmful rays. Widely thought to be safer than chemical sunscreens, they have recently been the focus of concern. Because these substances when used produce a white coating

on the skin, nanosized particles of these same metals were formulated and are now extensively used in products to penetrate the skin more deeply, providing a clear application. The concern with this is fear of the unknown, should the miniscule particles enter the bloodstream.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit organization that researches the safety of ingredients used in products, recommends physical sunblock products over chemical based sunscreens. According to the EWG, Mexoryl S and Tinosorb S are safe sunscreen ingredients, but are not available in the US. They have compiled a list of what they recommend as the safest sunscreens to use, and I have included that link at the bottom of this article.

Despite the concerns about ingredient safety, most consumer safety groups still recommend the use of sunscreen as part of a comprehensive sun-damage prevention program, and so do I.

Additional recommendations include:

• Do not burn or tan, and avoid tanning beds
• Generously apply sunscreen (1 ounce to cover entire body)
• Wear protective clothing & sunglasses with UV protection
• Seek shade
• Use caution near water, snow and sand
• Check the UV index before planning outdoor activities

Check this link for more information.