14 August, 2017 - The Skin and Sun Care Show with Avene and Coolibar

Slow Living Radio puts the spotlight on our skin, particularly, sun protection and  how to best protect yourself from skin cancers. We invited 2 guests, one a skin specialist and education manager for Avene, who will talk about caring for your skin and choosing the right sun protection.  Next, Kendra Reichenau from Coolibar, will talk about the importance of sun protective clothing, and the work they are doing with the Skin Cancer Foundation.  We urge listeners to lather up, protect your skin and do the same for your kids.  That's when the damage starts.

James Kivior

Educational Manager,

Avène skin care

James has been a licensed esthetician for 20 years.  He has worked in some of NYC’s top spas and salons and has also worked with plastic surgeons and dermatologists.  He has been working for the Pierre Fabre Group as the Educational Manager for Avene skin care, Klorane and Renee Furterer hair care for 7 years.

Avene  (Ah-vehn) skin care is the number one skin care brand in European pharmacies.  The brand is part of a very large French pharmaceutical company called the Pierre Fabre Group, the second largest pharmaceutical company in France.  The Avene brand is known for specializing in sensitive skin and its most popular product, the Avene Thermal Spring Water is the main active ingredient in all of the products.  The line is also carried in over 3,000 dermatologist offices in the U.S.

About Avène'

ROOTED IN DERMATOLOGY AND HYDROTHERAPY

Avène has over 270 years of expertise in caring for sensitive skin and is trusted by millions worldwide. At the heart of the brand is Avène Thermal Spring Water, a natural soothing source clinically shown by over 150 studies to soothe, soften and calm the skin.

The Village of Avene

Originating as pure rain mixed with sea-spray rich in mineral salts, Avène Thermal Spring Water makes its 50-year journey through the Cévennes Mountains in Avène, France.

It gradually becomes infused with trace elements and silicates, and comes in contact with an ancient microorganism Aqua.Dolomiae, which was first identified by Avène in 2001. This remarkable biological property combined with the well-known mineral properties of Avène Thermal Spring Water ensures gentleness and tolerance, creating a unique double signature that does not exist anywhere else in the world.

Over 150 stringent biological, pharmacological and clinical studies have clearly demonstrated the soothing, softening and calming benefits of AvèneThermal Spring Water.

Kendra Reichenau

CEO,

Coolibar

Coolibar's got you covered

For over 14 years, Coolibar has inspired active, outdoor living with the most innovative UPF 50+ products and fabrics designed to last a lifetime. Welcome to health, happiness and life in the sun.

HISTORY

Founded in 2001 by an Australian who knew the harshest of sun climates, Coolibar has evolved to be the leader in innovative sun protective fabric design. Headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota, Coolibar takes its name from a eucalyptus tree native to the Australian outback - offering welcome relief and reliable protection from the sun's damaging ultraviolet rays, on the continent where sun protection began.

The Coolibah Tree

Coolibar is the first company to receive the Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation for sun protective clothing. Additionally, the sun protective apparel was the first ever endorsed by the Melanoma International Foundation, and as a sun protective clothing company Coolibar has also been endorsed by the Pediatric Sun Protection Foundation.

Coolibar clothing is endorsed by experts worldwide and recommended by dermatologists. They guarantee UPF 50+ protection from the first day the product is worn until the last day. Their fabrics are thoroughly tested at independent labs to ensure each product meets or exceeds UPF 50+ standard. The company tests multiple samples from every dye lot of every fabric used.

TESTING

After conducting an initial UV transmittance test, Coolibar launder each garment 40 times, expose it to 100 fading units of simulated sunlight, then conduct a second UV transmittance test. The tests measure transmittance across both the UVA and UVB spectrum. Garment ratings are based on the lower result of the initial "brand new" test and the second "life cycle" test. Most fabrics lose some level of UV protection as they age, so most fabrics are rated based on their second test.

It's important to know that all clothing is not sun protective, and all sun protective clothing is not created equal.

Coolibar's proprietary SUNTECT® fabrics are rated UPF 50+, the highest in the industry. Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) is a rating system much like SPF used in sunscreens, only UPF measures blockage of both UVA and UVB rays. Technically speaking, Coolibar allows only 1/50th of UV radiation that falls on the surface of our fabrics to actually pass through it. What it really means is that Coolibar's clothing blocks 98% of the sun's radiation from reaching your skin, so you can actually enjoy all the sun's good stuff without any of the bad stuff. The fabrics are made with the best active ingredients found in sunscreens including Titanium Dioxide and Zinc Oxide and even with multiple washing and exposure to sweat, chlorine and salt - the sun protection never washes out.

THE SUN AND YOUR SKIN

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AVERAGE TEE
BLOCKS ABOUT 5%-9% OF UVA/UVB RAYS

A common misconception is that a cotton t-shirt provides adequate protection from the sun. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation (SCF), a typical white cotton t-shirt averages an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) of only 7, while the SCF and leading dermatologists recommend a UPF of at least 30. UPF can also decline when fabric is exposed to chlorine and salt, and after multiple washings so it is important that fabrics be tested in conditions that simulate regular use.

Buying sun-protective clothing from a reputable manufacturer is the only way to know that your skin is protected. When considering a garment for sun protection, it is important to ask:

- Does it claim to offer UPF protection and to what level?
- Was it tested, and which test protocols were used?
- Was real wear simulated as part of the test through washing, exposure to light, chlorine, etc.?
- Was testing conducted to simulate sun-protection throughout the products life cycle?

Skin cancer is the most common type of cancer in the U.S., and more than 3.5 million cases of skin cancer are diagnosed in more than two million Americans each year. The Skin Cancer Foundation and many leading dermatologists recommend sun protective clothing as a first line of defense.

Coolibar is the first company to receive the Skin Cancer Foundation's Seal of Recommendation.

The Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced in June 2015 that skin cancer rates doubled during the past three decades. The U.S. Surgeon General issued a call to action in 2014 about skin cancer as major public health threat.

Click here is some great information from the Skin Cancer Foundation's website on sun-protective clothing.

Learn more about the sun and your skin