Sarah's TV Resources. We've Moved! SarahShah.com/blog: August 2008

Segment appeared on Good Day Austin (July 1, 2008) and Great Day Houston (June 30, 2008). Want to watch the live segments? Click the links at the bottom of this post.

Protecting our skin is widely recognized as one of the most important and least expensive measures that we can take to preserve our youth, beauty, and the health of our skin. Here are some strategies to protect your skin so you’re cute today and still beautiful tomorrow!

Sunless Tanner

We know we should stay out of the sun (and the tanning bed), but we still love that golden glow of a tan. So what do we do? Sunless tanner is a great answer. There are lots to choose from lotions that darken the skin over night, subtle tanning lotions that darken the skin slowly over the course of a week, and lotions that dye the skin. For best results with sunless tanners, exfoliate first and apply to completely dry skin.

The Solerra Sunless Tanning Mitt is the best sunless tanner I’ve ever used. The single-use plastic lined mitt makes application so easy, without the mess. Just slide your hand into the mitt and smooth the sunless tanner on your skin. The sunless tanner is on both sides of the mitt, so you can switch hands to get your whole body. You can even "pretzel" and reach your back all by yourself! It doesn’t contain any dyes, so it goes on clear and dries fast for a natural-looking tan. And the mitt protects your palms. No freaky-streaky or day-glo orange on your skin or your towels. Just deep, dark, and delicious Baby!

Sarah’s tips for getting the best results - First exfoliate your body with the Exmitt. Then rinse and dry your skin. When your skin is completely dry, cut open the Solerra Sunless Tanning Mitt on the "cut here line" with scissors. Slip your hand into the plastic liner built in to the mitt and apply to the face arms and legs first, being careful to apply over the entire skin area. Then apply to torso, tops of hands and feet, then elbows and knees. Keep going over the skin on your body again and again until the mitt begins to disintegrate to ensure even coverage. Don’t worry, multiple layers of the lotion won’t make the "tan" get darker.

You can get the Solerra Sunless Tanning Mitt and Exmitt at Beauty Brands or online at http://www.solerra.com/. Box of 5 mitts for $25

Protective Clothing

Ultraviolet Protection Factor (UPF) is the term used to define the level of UV protection in clothing. The white t-shirt we usually wear as a cover up has a UPF of 7 and drops to 3 when it’s wet. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends a UPF of at least 30.

All clothing is not created equal. The tightness of the weave, the weight, type of fiber, color and amount of skin covered all affect the amount of protection they provide. Look for:

Synthetic materials with a tight weave. If you can see through the fabric, then UV radiation can penetrate it – and get to your skin.
Clothing with a UPF rating of at least 30. A UPF of 50 is excellent and blocks 99% of the sun’s UV rays.
Dark or bright color fabrics because the dyes absorb some of the UV radiation.
UPF clothing is available in most sporting goods stores and online. Here are some cute examples with a UPF of 50.

Examples:

Tunic with long sleeves and zip neck is light-weight and gives great coverage. (ruched guard, wisteria, $69, http://www.athleta.com/)
Long-sleeved T-shirt style top with a high neck gives you great coverage. (sun stopper top, geranium, $49, http://www.athleta.com/)
Light-weight pants are water resistant with lots of pockets, (dipper pants, almond, $79, http://www.athleta.com/)

Hats

Hats can protect our face and shoulders from the sun. The typical straw hat has a loose weave and lets a lot of sun through the little holes between the strands of straw. Look for hats with a tight weave, wide brim of atleast 3-inches, and UPF of at least 30. The bigger the brim, the more protection.

Examples of three pretty hats that have a UPF of at least 40.

Classic "straw" hat (Coolibar Seaside hat 5" brim, $29.95, http://www.coolibar.com/,)
Squashable cotton reversible print hat is easy to pack. (Betmar Plenty SunBrim, 4½" brim, $28, Dillards)
Elegant "straw" hat made from natural fibers with a big beautiful bow. (Betmar, 4" brim, $52, Dillards)

Sunglasses

When we’re in the sun, the pupils in our eyes contract to reduce the light that enters our eye. Sunglasses shade our eyes, so the pupil opens wide and over-rides our body’s natural defenses against the damage of UV rays. If the sunglasses don’t have 100% UV-protection we actually allow more damage to our eyes by wearing sunglasses.

Choose sunglasses with 100% UV protection. Look for a label on the lenses of the glasses. You don’t have to spend a lot of money to get the protection. Examples of 4 pairs of sunglasses with 100% UVA and UVB protection(Target, between $13 and $17).

Watch The Live Demonstrations

Good Day Austin (July 1, 2008) http://www.myfoxaustin.com/myfox/pages/InsideFox/Detail?contentId=6887221&version=2&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=5.2.1

Great Day Houston (June 30, 2008)

(fast forward to the 5:00 minute mark to see the Solerra Sunless Tanning Mitt) http://www.khou.com/greatday/beauty/?nvid=259081 and here's the link to UPF hats, clothing, and sunglasses http://www.khou.com/greatday/beauty/?nvid=259082