WHY WEAR SPF?

ANSWER : Sun-damage, Premature age and melanoma(skin Cancer) to name a few.

    We were going to write an article on sun damage and the importance of SPF but since modern society is very visual we thought we should show you. Prevent premature aging!!!

    Exposure to ultraviolet light, UVA or UVB, from sunlight accounts for 90% of the symptoms of premature skin aging such as wrinkles and skin cancers. The most important skin-care product available to prevent wrinkles and skin cancer is sunscreen.

     Most people use sunscreen improperly by not applying enough. They apply only 25% to 50% of the recommended amount. Sunscreen should be applied liberally enough to all sun-exposed areas that it forms a film when initially applied. It takes 20-30 minutes for sunscreen to be absorbed by the skin, so it should be applied at least a half an hour before going out in the sun.

Daily Sunscreen

Sunscreen should be applied daily. The daily use of a low-SPF sunscreen (15) has been shown to be more effective in preventing skin damage than the intermittent use of a higher SPF sunscreen.

What can you do to prevent premature aging and skin cancer? 

• Avoid excessive exposure during midday sun, 10am-4pm, when the sun's rays are the strongest and most damaging.
• Apply sunblock with at least a sun protection factor (SPF) of 15. Reapply every two hours while outdoors and immediately following swimming or exercising.
• Seek shade when you proceed outdoors.
• Wear protective sunglasses that block 100% of UVA and UVB rays.
• Keep your skin hydrated with a moisturizer.
• Replace old bottles of sunscreen each season; the chemicals decompose over time.
• Wear protective clothing, such as a wide brim hat.
• Examine your skin once a month. Look for any changes in moles and age spots, keeping in mind the following anagram, ABCDE: asymmetry, borders, color, diameter, and enlargement.

http://www.evolution-man.com/MOISTURE-PROTECT-FOR-MEN-s/46.htm

8 REASONS TO DRINK MORE WATER (Part 02)

Part 01

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5.  Better exercise

Being dehydrated can severely hamper your athletic activities, slowing you down and making it harder to lift weights. Exercise requires additional water, so be sure to hydrate before, during and after exercise.

6.  Cleansing

Water is used by the body to help flush out toxins and waste products from the body.

7.  Digestive problems

Our digestive systems need a good amount of water to digest food properly. Often water can help cure stomach acid problems, and water along with fiber can cure constipation (often a result of dehydration).

8.  Cancer risk

Related to the digestive system item above, drinking a healthy amount of water has also been found to reduce the risk of colon cancer by 45%. Drinking lots of water can also reduce the risk of bladder cancer by 50% and potentially reduce the risk of breast cancer.

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Water is an elixir of life and has become a trendy drink. Top restaurants even have their own menu section for water. Whether you are having an espresso or a meal with several courses, water is the ideal accompaniment.

Tips and Tricks for Drinking More Water: 

• Get a water bottle you love. Purchasing a water bottle that you enjoy drinking from makes a difference in both how likely you are to carry it and sip from it. 
• Add lemon or other fruit to your water for flavor. 
• Drink icy cold water so your body will work hard to convert it to body temperature allowing you to burn more calories. 
• Make drinking water a morning ritual. Many people wake up dehydrated. Try drinking a glass of ice cold water when you wake up to jump start your day. 
• Always keep a glass of water or your water bottle with you when you’re working so you continue to sip all day.

HOW TO AVOID ACNE?

           Acne can occur on your face, chest, neck, back and shoulders, which are areas of your body with the largest number of functional oil glands. Pimples are more common in teenage boys than adults but acne can occur in men of any age. Some factors, such as being in puberty, can't be altered, but you can take steps to avoid and prevent acne. Keep yourself healthy and presentable by removing factors that contribute to acne.

Step 1 - Wash your face daily

Wash your face twice a day: once at night, and once during your morning routine. When you wash your face, wash it gently and with warm water. The heat will open your pores and the temperature is better suited to clean than cold water. Wash your hands before you wash your face. Washing your face is definitely important, but what's the use if your hands are oily and dirty to begin with?

*WASH & BUFF: A daily cleanser and exfoliator that removes oil and dirt to minimize blemishes and ingrown hairs. Like a mini-facial, it cleanses, exfoliates, and moisturizes. Antioxidant ingredients Vitamin E and Soybean Seed Extract hydrate skin. Tea Tree Oil, a natural antiseptic, helps minimize breakouts.

Step 2 - Keep your hair clean

Keep your hair clean. Whether you are a man with short hair or long hair, wash your hair daily. Dirt and oil from your hair can be transferred to your face, neck, back and shoulders, especially as you sweat.

Step 3 - Moisturize after each face wash

Moisturizing your skin is just as important as washing it. When you wash your face, you strip it of oils and moisture, and that's the point: those oils that clog your pores are no longer there to give you acne. But your skin is an organ, and it needs moisture.

*Moisture Protect SPF 20: Leaves skin hydrated without being shiny. Green Tea Extract soothes razor burn and redness. Vitamins E, C and B5 provide rich moisture to skin. Titanium dioxide provides full UVB and short wave UVA protection.

Step 4 - Try not to touch your face with your hands

Avoid touching your face and other areas prone to pimples throughout the day. Bacteria from your hands - or even the receiver of a phone - can lead to breakouts. The less bacteria on your face, the lower your chances that you'll develop nasty breakouts. 

Step 5 - Shower after exercise, sports or performing physical labor

Shower after exercise, sports or performing physical labor because men are more prone to heavy sweating than women. The oil and sweat on your skin can cause dirt and bacteria to become trapped, which can lead to breakouts not only on your face but on your neck, shoulder, rest and back.

Step 6 - Wash your pillowcases at the end of every week

The oils on your pillowcases can cause acne by spreading dirt, grime, and dead skin. Think about having two pairs of pillowcases that you can switch out at the end of each week so that you don't find yourself doing laundry every week.

If all else FAILS - Use a spot treatment or a concealer. Conceal & Treat does both in one step :) 

Are you fully protected?

In a 2011 post, we mentioned that you should be applying an average of one ounce of sunscreen to the exposed skin on a clothed body - face, neck, ears, arms. By applying less than this amount, or by mixing sunscreens, you may be getting less than the advertised protection on the bottle. Understanding how SPF is calculated and the errors in application will help you decide if you are achieving the maximum SPF. 

In the United States, SPF is tested and calculated by using real humans. We'll spare you the technical jargon and math, but in short, male and female volunteers go through a series of medical examinations and are given a skin type according to how easily they burn. Then, the test subjects are given 2 milligrams of the sunscreen moisturizer for every square centimeter of skin that's being tested, just before being subjected to synthetic ultraviolet radiation. The moisturizer is then given a sun protection number based on how well they were protected during that exposure period.  

Moisture Protect SPF 20 (and its Bronze brother) were given a sun protection factor of 20, based on applying 2 milligrams of formula per square centimeter of skin. 


As mentioned, the first mistake in sunscreen application is not applying enough. Since the SPF is calculated on a healthy dosage, which most people do not use, you need to apply that much to get the advertised coverage. Any less coverage means less SPF - this goes for tinted SPF moisturizers as well. Additionally, you can't apply SPF lotion once and expect to be protected all day. When it wears off, your protection wears off. 

The second mistake in application is when sunscreens are mixed. Combining products with two different SPF values does not give you the addition of the SPF, but rather an average of the two. Remember: 

In short, to achieve the advertised SPF, you need to apply generously and reapply often. 

A Smartphone App to keep you smart about the sun?

Solaveil, a leading UK supplier of active suncare ingredients, has released a new smartphone application that reminds the user to reapply sunscreen or seek shelter from the sun through their phone's alarm system. With summer in full swing, the timing couldn't be better. Our question - is the free app really worth it, or is it easier use your phone's timer?

The app uses GPS to figure out your location and corresponding temperature and UV index. Users simply enter in a few details about themselves, and Solaveil helps select an SPF and frequency of reapplication. It then tells you the level of risk you are at and how soon you will begin to burn at this UV exposure. Eventually, an alarm goes off that tells you to reapply SPF.

The application is a great reminder for you and your family to keep track of your exposure to the sun, and it gives advice about other things you can do (besides apply SPF) to keep your skin protected. And, honestly, we forgot about the timer until it reminded us - fun in the sun is always a distraction from applying more SPF. However, generally practicing sun safety all the time, not just when you're in the sun, will work just as well as the app. Like the disclaimer says on the application when you download it - in the end, the responsibility for sun protection rests with the individual. 

With that in mind, no matter the weather, wear a daily SPF like Moisture Protect SPF 20 and reapply often. Drink plenty of water, and stay out of the sun from 11am - 3pm.

Sun Protection - In Style

A friend was recently diagnosed with melanoma. The location? His scalp. It never occurred to him to wear a hat when out in the sun. We don't see our scalp, and often times, protecting it from the sun can be forgotten. Since it can be a little cumbersome (or gross) to slather our domes with sunscreen, we've come up with five options that make protecting your scalp from the sun rather stylish. 

The Fedora - this conservative, lightweight fedora from Brixton Castor pairs well with jeans and a t-shirt. Avoid topping off your three-piece suit with it, or you'll end up looking like you just walked off set of the newest Gatsby film.

The Lumber Hat - similar to the fedora, this hat by G-star has the perfect sized brim. Not too small, not too large. Keep it cool, not nerdy by adding a vest to your outfit.

The Beanie  - You can't go a day in LA without seeing someone rocking this beanie with a pair of Persol sunglasses. Not just for hipsters, this soft, slouchy cap from All Saints is the perfect headwarmer on a cool evening.

The Baseball Hat  - You can never go wrong with throwing on the ball cap of your favorite athletic team. 

Soothe The Burn

Summertime means sunshine, vacations, care-free weekends, spending time outdoors with friends - and it means sunburn. People sunburn from either not wearing sunscreen, not applying enough sunscreen, or not reapplying sunscreen on a regular basis. While there's no quick-fix to treating your burn, there are ways to cool the skin and ease the inflammation and discomfort associated with looking like a lobster. 

The obvious? Stay out of the sun and drinks lots of water. Burned skin cannot repair itself if it's still being damaged.
 

Keep skin cool with a cool to lukewarm water bath or cold compresses gently placed on the skin. For a more soothing variation, try adding a few cups of cool (not cold) milk to your compress or bath. The milk proteins create a thin film on the skin to relieve inflammation, the pain-causing component of sunburn.

Moisturize, but be careful as to not over-moisturize your skin. Moisturizers can be thick and heavy, trapping in the heat, worsening the condition. Try a light-weight gel moisturizer. Our VP swears that Korres Yoghurt Cooling Gel once saved her from a summer of pain while in Greece. It provides instant relief with moisturizers and extracts for the skin. For added relief, store this in the refrigerator for extra coolness. If you'd like to go the traditional route of using store-bought aloe, make sure that you're using purchasing pure aloe - many kinds at the store only contain a fraction of the aloe needed to provide any real relief. 

Need something a little more instantly than running to the store for a product? Use Korre's inspiration and apply cold yogurt to the affected areas. A thick, plain yogurt works best. Leave it on for fifteen to twenty minutes before gently rinsing off and reapplying. 

It's tempting to let Aunt Peggy pick at the peeling skin or to pop the blisters, but your safest bet is to be patient and let everything heal on its own. Focus on relieving the heat and redness, and the healing will come naturally. 

The best treatment yet? Prevention. 

Apply sunscreen generously and regularly. A typical adult should use one ounce, or a shot glass full, of sunscreen to protect exposed areas of the body. Adequate application before you go into the sun will give you about two hours of protection before you need to reapply - but more often if you've been swimming, sweating, or toweling off. Also, select a sunscreen that offers UVA protection in addition to UVB - look for zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, or avobenzone. EVMAN's Moisture Protect SPF 20 is a great matte-finish moisturizer that protects you from the sun without looking greasy.

SKIN TIP: WEAR SUNGLASSES TO PREVENT WRINKLES

Wearing sunglasses physically protects the eye area, thus reducing the effects of sun damage on your eyes. But how can eye damage cause wrinkles?

The sun directly damages the eyes through UV exposure. UV rays strike the eye, accelerating the rate of cataract formation and worsening macular degeneration. It's your body's natural defense mechanism to squint the eyes to reduce the impact of UV exposure. In turn, constantly squinting from bright light can cause crows feet and other wrinkling around the eye area. Over time, the lines get deeper and the amounts of fine lines and wrinkles increase. Also, squinting to better focus your eyes can increase eye wrinkles over time - be sure to get your vision checked regularly.

How do you prevent squinting? It's an uncontrollable reflex, so you should wear sunglasses with UV protection and wear a hat. Most importantly, choose lenses with UVA/UVB protection. The FDA recommends selecting sunglasses with 99-100% UVA/UVB protection - the sticker on the lens will tell you what the coverage is. You can also select larger or wrap-around-glasses for more physical protection from the sun's rays on your skin, but this won't help much with squinting your eyes. People with lighter eyes or bigger pupils are more sensitive to light and may be prone to more squinting, so choosing a polarized lens that reduces glare may be a good choice.

Don't forget to couple quality lenses with SPF and a good eye product like Revitalize Eye Gel. With proven ingredients like glycolic acid, algae extract, Antarctic seaweed extract, and Vitamin E, it leaves skin feeling rejuvenated, supple, and young.

Winter Bronze

Winter is the season of family, food, and fun, but it is also the season where our skin color is at its most undesirable. Many people will try to correct sallow skin color by a quick trip to the tanning salon. We know how you feel, but this is not the answer. It's been known fact for some time that indoor tanning is unhealthy for your skin, but ABC NEWS recently reported that researchers say "indoor tanning is associated with a 74% higher risk of melanoma." And, according to DeAnn Lazovich and colleagues, of the University of Minnesota, "some forms of indoor tanning machines were associated with a four-fold increase in the risk of skin cancer." This is strong support that fake tanning is carcinogenic. The solution? Fake it instead of bake it.

EVOLUTIONMAN developed Moisture Protect SPF 20 BRONZE to give you that summer glow all year long while protecting you from the sun's harmful rays. No sun is necessary. Apply a thin coat to counter-act the winter blues, or multiple coats to look like you've just returned from a quick trip to the Bahamas. 

For first-time users, our easy-to-use formula makes it hard to go wrong, but we do recommend applying several thin coats instead of one thick one to acheive your desired glow. It's a good idea to cleanse and exfoliate your face beforehand to remove dry skin, and make sure you rub it in properly if you have facial stubble.