Welcome to The Cancer Pod!
The Truth About...  Skin and Sun Safety
The Truth About... Skin and Sun Safety
Tina and Leah take on some TikTok misconceptions, including influencers' anti-sunscreen rants, head-on (wearing a wide-brimmed hat, of cour…
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July 24, 2024

The Truth About... Skin and Sun Safety

The Truth About...  Skin and Sun Safety

Tina and Leah take on some TikTok misconceptions, including influencers' anti-sunscreen rants, head-on (wearing a wide-brimmed hat, of course).  The sun is good. The sun is bad. The sun will give you cancer, no wait, it will protect you from cancers. As is often the case, the truth is somewhere in the middle. Tune in for a factual discussion about sun exposure, tanning, and the difference between UVA and UVB rays on your skin. We talk sunscreens, sun blockers, and why there is so much darn skin cancer down under! (Not THAT down under! We mean Australia/New Zealand).

Some links that you may like:
Who's Spicoli?
List of the recalled Sunscreens
Bain De Soleil Commercial
SPF and Sun Protection explained (Skin Cancer Foundation)
Eating tomatoes - evidence of protection from sun damage (mice)
The ABCDE of identifying melanoma
Five sunburns in childhood increases risk, and more info
Skin Cancer rates across by country (Scientific American)
Our prior episode on Vitamin D
Sunscreen Chemicals and Marine Life (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association)
Guide to the Safer Sunscreens (Environmental Working Group) 



Support the Show.

Our website:
https://www.thecancerpod.com

Email us: thecancerpod@gmail.com
Join our growing community! We are @TheCancerPod on:

THANK YOU for listening!

Chapters

00:56 - Intro - TikTok and Messaging

04:08 - Skin cancers - some basics

09:00 - UVA/UVB and wrinkles

11:21 - Sunburns in childhood !!

14:34 - Chemicals in Sunscreens

21:18 - Cover up!

24:21 - Photo aging while you drive!

28:40 - Skin cancers and geography

30:00 - Tomatoes, Alcohol and Vitamin D...

33:47 - What is SPF anyways?

37:19 - Skin types - Yes, you have a type!

42:32 - Wrap up

Transcript
WEBVTT

00:00:00.000 --> 00:00:02.660
And that is where melanona Mel.

00:00:03.160 --> 00:00:04.660
Who's What did I just say?

00:00:04.660 --> 00:00:05.259
Melanona.

00:00:05.711 --> 00:00:06.246
I think I know

00:00:06.277 --> 00:00:06.916
Who is she?

00:00:08.717 --> 00:00:12.507
I'm Dr Tina Kaczor and as Leah likes to say I'm the science-y one

00:00:12.699 --> 00:00:15.369
and I'm Dr Leah Sherman and on the cancer inside

00:00:16.341 --> 00:00:20.211
And we're two naturopathic doctors who practice integrative cancer care

00:00:20.472 --> 00:00:22.422
But we're not your doctors

00:00:22.582 --> 00:00:29.039
This is for education entertainment and informational purposes only do not apply any of this information

00:00:29.039 --> 00:00:31.109
without first speaking to your doctor

00:00:31.306 --> 00:00:37.125
The views and opinions expressed on this podcast by the hosts and their guests are solely their own

00:00:37.435 --> 00:00:56.889
Welcome to the cancer pod Hey, Tina,

00:00:57.295 --> 00:00:57.685
Hi, Leah.

00:00:58.030 --> 00:01:03.414
I know you don't have the TikTok, but there was this trend going around.

00:01:03.414 --> 00:01:14.465
I don't know if you saw it in the news where I guess a bunch of influencers were talking about sunscreen and how it's bad for you and you shouldn't, they were kind of promoting not using sunscreen.

00:01:14.676 --> 00:01:15.615
Did you hear about that?

00:01:16.605 --> 00:01:17.225
I didn't think so.

00:01:17.945 --> 00:01:20.805
My knowledge of TikTok is pretty, it's pretty narrow.

00:01:21.126 --> 00:01:31.259
I know, but it was, it was making, like, The rounds in the news, because it is concerning, um, something I learned is that Gen Z gets a lot of their health information from social media.

00:01:31.259 --> 00:01:49.192
So I'm assuming from TikTok, what is even more interesting is when I searched to find these anti sunscreen videos, all I found were anti, anti dermatologists and other influencers talking about, Oh, no, no, no.

00:01:49.453 --> 00:01:50.513
This is what.

00:01:50.912 --> 00:01:56.783
You know, the science shows, or this is what is safe, or I'm just promoting this product.

00:01:57.643 --> 00:01:59.882
You know, how they all kind of try to sell you something.

00:01:59.893 --> 00:02:01.582
Anyways, I thought that was really interesting.

00:02:01.649 --> 00:02:06.929
and it kind of drove me to think that we should talk about just sun safety in general.

00:02:07.308 --> 00:02:07.828
Yeah.

00:02:08.049 --> 00:02:08.758
Tis the season.

00:02:09.269 --> 00:02:10.199
is the season.

00:02:10.438 --> 00:02:11.098
Yes.

00:02:11.498 --> 00:02:16.723
Um, where I'm at right now, it's not sunny, but that doesn't really matter when it comes to sun safety.

00:02:17.062 --> 00:02:27.203
No, because in preparing for this, I saw that there's actually higher rates of some skin cancers, like melanoma, in Oregon than there is in Texas.

00:02:27.342 --> 00:02:29.103
That is really surprising.

00:02:29.282 --> 00:02:38.235
but I can see that because at least when I lived in Arizona, nobody went outside in the middle of the summer because it's 450 degrees Fahrenheit.

00:02:38.645 --> 00:02:43.786
Uh, and so in Oregon, people are like, Oh, it's, you know, it's, it's not sunny out.

00:02:43.786 --> 00:02:45.455
So I could, I definitely could see that.

00:02:45.663 --> 00:02:51.968
I also think, I don't know about any more, but I know when I first moved to Portland, there was a lot of tanning booths.

00:02:52.288 --> 00:02:52.778
Hmm.

00:02:52.848 --> 00:02:53.199
Yeah.

00:02:53.199 --> 00:02:58.489
So a lot of people miss their sunshine and their rays, so they go and sit in a tanning bed.

00:02:58.943 --> 00:02:59.233
Right.

00:02:59.233 --> 00:03:04.299
And so I don't know with all of the regulations that, um, went down with tanning beds.

00:03:04.329 --> 00:03:11.556
I don't know if that's necessarily the truth anymore, but I can see that because of the, the overcast weather, people think they're safe.

00:03:11.955 --> 00:03:12.256
Yeah.

00:03:12.580 --> 00:03:21.100
Yeah, and we tend to get our sunshine in consecutive days and months, and then we lose all sunshine for several months.

00:03:21.251 --> 00:03:29.211
So there's like, it's not intermittent throughout the year, where I grew up in upstate New York, there was, it was some sunshine in the wintertime as well as the summertime.

00:03:29.457 --> 00:03:36.728
it was parsed out through the 12 months of the year, a little bit more steadily, and here in the Northwest, we get it or we don't.

00:03:36.967 --> 00:03:38.848
Oh,

00:03:39.242 --> 00:03:47.073
you know, my, my own social media that as soon as there's a sunny day, people start posting pictures of their sunburns.

00:03:47.962 --> 00:03:51.272
know, people in the Portland area start doing that.

00:03:51.272 --> 00:03:52.893
So I think that's the thing too, right?

00:03:52.893 --> 00:03:56.353
It's the first sunny day and everyone runs out in shorts and a tank top and.

00:03:56.407 --> 00:03:57.437
absolutely.

00:03:57.437 --> 00:03:57.457
Absolutely.

00:03:57.612 --> 00:04:00.252
Or they're gardening and then it was like, they're beet rad.

00:04:00.252 --> 00:04:00.562
So.

00:04:00.837 --> 00:04:01.228
Yeah.

00:04:01.268 --> 00:04:04.877
It might be 55 degrees out, but if the sun is shining, people are wearing shorts.

00:04:05.282 --> 00:04:07.552
Yeah, not me, but, but people do.

00:04:07.562 --> 00:04:08.943
Yes, that is very true.

00:04:08.943 --> 00:04:09.362
Not me.

00:04:09.362 --> 00:04:11.432
I'm still, I'm in a fleece right now.

00:04:11.723 --> 00:04:37.654
Um, so yeah, I think, you know, you mentioned the skin cancer thing, and I think that is something a lot of people, you know, obviously relate to with, sun exposure, and I think that's a really important thing, that some people think in terms of skin cancer, like, Oh, basal cell squamous cell, those are, those are like, you know, I'm putting big finger quotes, easy cancers, they're not necessarily dangerous.

00:04:38.055 --> 00:04:39.574
And that's not necessarily true.

00:04:39.939 --> 00:04:40.519
No.

00:04:40.579 --> 00:04:41.639
Caught early.

00:04:42.050 --> 00:04:50.221
Generally, that is a very good prognosis, caught early squamous cell cancers of the skin and basal cell carcinomas of the skin and even melanoma.

00:04:50.401 --> 00:04:56.721
When it's caught early, in its earliest stages, is very good prognosis because surgically you can remove the whole thing.

00:04:57.012 --> 00:04:59.901
But it can get sneaky sometimes too.

00:05:00.076 --> 00:05:00.997
Oh, absolutely.

00:05:00.997 --> 00:05:11.716
And the thing with these skin cancers is that you're not necessarily just removing, you know, especially with melanoma, you're not just removing just the mole.

00:05:12.317 --> 00:05:17.980
Like they're going to make a huge cut to make sure they're getting the depth and the margins that they need.

00:05:17.980 --> 00:05:18.091
Absolutely.

00:05:18.300 --> 00:05:18.670
Yeah.

00:05:19.120 --> 00:05:19.360
Yeah.

00:05:19.360 --> 00:05:24.940
And I would say right off the bat, if someone suspects a melanoma, go to a dermatologist.

00:05:25.240 --> 00:05:28.630
If you're getting a skin check, you know, primary care physicians are okay.

00:05:28.718 --> 00:05:30.137
I'll include myself in that basket.

00:05:30.148 --> 00:05:40.605
We're decent at recognizing things, but nothing replaces a good dermatologist because they can usually on sight and certainly with a biopsy, identify any skin lesions.

00:05:40.675 --> 00:05:42.834
So they're, they're just very, very good at it.

00:05:42.845 --> 00:05:44.235
Even, even by sight.

00:05:44.404 --> 00:06:11.043
And I would recommend, just from having worked, um, years ago with one of the most prominent melanoma researchers at the time, when you go to the doctor, if you think something is suspicious, don't let them just do a shave biopsy, because he was finding that a lot of the dermatologists in the area were doing shave biopsies of something that Came back as melanoma.

00:06:11.533 --> 00:06:34.266
And so, yeah, it's just kind of advocating for yourself and making sure, and if you have a really tiny, tiny mole and it's suspicious and somebody is like, well, it doesn't meet the criteria because it has to be of a certain size, you know, like the eraser head size that we talked about in another episode, I would advocate for you to have it removed and get biopsied because it has to start somewhere.

00:06:34.625 --> 00:06:38.675
Like, it's not like it's going to necessarily magically appear and be the size of an eraser head.

00:06:39.125 --> 00:06:39.406
Yeah.

00:06:39.406 --> 00:06:44.146
And there is, I'm just going to say the A, B, C, D, E of melanoma, right?

00:06:44.146 --> 00:06:48.346
There's the asymmetry and that has to do with the, the shape of it.

00:06:48.375 --> 00:06:50.016
Is it asymmetrical or is it symmetrical?

00:06:50.016 --> 00:06:50.985
There's the border.

00:06:51.055 --> 00:06:52.706
Are they regular and nice and smooth?

00:06:52.706 --> 00:06:56.855
Are they irregular borders where they're a little, either looking cauliflower or a little off?

00:06:57.326 --> 00:07:03.295
Um, the color, you know, color changes, especially if it gets hyperpigmented, but not all melanomas have pigment.

00:07:03.745 --> 00:07:05.036
That can be challenging.

00:07:05.036 --> 00:07:06.435
Some melanomas aren't dark.

00:07:06.755 --> 00:07:07.086
And then.

00:07:07.391 --> 00:07:14.180
The diameter, which you've already mentioned, uh, size of a number two pencil eraser is, is kind of our limit and evolving.

00:07:14.180 --> 00:07:25.401
So I think the one you were just mentioning is if it's evolving, if you have this little tiny thing that suddenly gets bigger or suddenly starts itching, changes shape or color or border, distinctions, then that needs to be looked at.

00:07:25.432 --> 00:07:33.132
And I would go straight to a dermatologist because in my experience there have been Primary care physicians more often do a shave biopsy when they shouldn't have.

00:07:33.713 --> 00:07:42.716
In my private practice, I noticed that then a dermatologist, dermatologists were more likely to take larger margins, even for the first biopsy, if they thought it could be a melanoma.

00:07:43.127 --> 00:07:50.146
So another thing about melanoma, which I don't think people necessarily think about is it's not just the moles that you see.

00:07:51.047 --> 00:07:54.526
I always say melanoma is the skin cancer where the sun don't shine.

00:07:54.536 --> 00:07:54.927
Right?

00:07:54.956 --> 00:07:58.117
I mean, it's going to be the bottom of the foot behind the ear.

00:07:58.286 --> 00:08:03.076
You know, people are like, well, I've never had that area exposed to the sun.

00:08:03.377 --> 00:08:08.036
And that is where melanona Mel Who's What did I just say?

00:08:08.036 --> 00:08:08.637
Melanona

00:08:09.088 --> 00:08:09.624
I think I know

00:08:09.653 --> 00:08:10.293
Who is she?

00:08:11.233 --> 00:08:21.343
And that is where melanoma tends to appear, you know, gluteal fold, um, really like under the fingernails, like unusual places.

00:08:21.358 --> 00:08:21.809
Yeah.

00:08:22.199 --> 00:08:22.538
Yeah.

00:08:22.538 --> 00:08:27.682
So, mucous membranes in the mouth, vaginal area, the anus, could appear anywhere.

00:08:27.682 --> 00:08:36.052
And then one that's fairly unusual, but I feel like we've been seeing more and more of it, at least anecdotally I've been seeing more of it, is a uveal, which is in the eye.

00:08:36.187 --> 00:08:39.706
UVL melanoma, which is a good reason to get your eyes checked every once in a while.

00:08:39.706 --> 00:08:44.144
So, cause any, anyone looking into your eyes should be able to see that early on.

00:08:44.384 --> 00:08:46.715
So there are different types and you're right.

00:08:46.745 --> 00:08:58.933
Melanoma is more likely to be hidden and in areas where the sun don't shine than squamous cell carcinoma or basal cell carcinoma which both more often appear where the sun has done damage.

00:08:59.014 --> 00:09:05.053
And for those who think, oh, well, this will never happen to me, um, it's not just cancer risk.

00:09:05.073 --> 00:09:10.274
I mean, you're risking other things like increased wrinkles.

00:09:10.813 --> 00:09:15.283
And I know that sounds funny, but for some people, premature aging.

00:09:15.708 --> 00:09:16.969
It is more of a concern.

00:09:16.989 --> 00:09:18.528
I mean, it's it's just the way it is.

00:09:18.918 --> 00:09:30.999
Um, you can have other growths appear on your skin as you age, you know, known as age spots or seborrheic keratoses, which are kind of those, like, it looks like it's stuck on.

00:09:30.999 --> 00:09:35.688
It's like this plaque kind of dark or skin colored mass mole.

00:09:35.698 --> 00:09:39.798
That's you see on skin that has been, exposed to a lot of sun.

00:09:40.677 --> 00:09:44.221
Um, there's a variety of why people need to be careful.

00:09:44.679 --> 00:09:44.960
Yeah.

00:09:44.960 --> 00:09:46.820
I think that photo aging is one that.

00:09:47.205 --> 00:10:04.350
We probably, uh, can emphasize, especially to younger folks, because it does, over time, have consequences, just because UVA, in particular, penetrates fairly deep right to the dermis, right below the epidermis, and that can create that rapid aging effect deeper wrinkles,

00:10:04.400 --> 00:10:06.980
So let's talk about UVA versus UVB rays.

00:10:06.980 --> 00:10:13.091
And so I always think of UVB rays as the burning rays and people are like, Oh, well you want to block that.

00:10:13.110 --> 00:10:16.571
No, those are actually the protective rays.

00:10:18.094 --> 00:10:20.378
Tell you, okay, you're getting too much, sun.

00:10:20.528 --> 00:10:22.827
Like you need a, you need to pull back a little.

00:10:23.388 --> 00:10:32.091
And the UVA rays, which are the quote unquote, um, tanning rays are also the ones that can promote things like melanoma.

00:10:32.416 --> 00:10:36.946
because the melanocytes are in the dermis, and only the UVA reaches down that far.

00:10:37.556 --> 00:10:48.052
The UVB doesn't penetrate the skin as deeply, so they're more superficial, but they are, like you said, I don't know, you call them protective, I would say they're more like a sentinel.

00:10:48.293 --> 00:11:01.677
Like, you know that you're burning, because UVB causes that redness, or You know, the dry, red, and even eventually blistering of the skin that's, that's warning you that you're getting too much ultraviolet radiation.

00:11:01.677 --> 00:11:02.091
What did I say?

00:11:02.091 --> 00:11:03.532
Protective or preventive?

00:11:03.912 --> 00:11:04.532
Protective?

00:11:04.711 --> 00:11:07.142
Well, what I meant was that it's a, it's a warning.

00:11:07.142 --> 00:11:07.511
Yeah.

00:11:07.567 --> 00:11:11.402
protective in that it's like a tornado siren, right?

00:11:11.761 --> 00:11:15.542
It's just protecting you from what may be inevitable.

00:11:16.024 --> 00:11:16.264
Yeah.

00:11:16.264 --> 00:11:19.094
It's giving you some kind of idea of what's happening.

00:11:19.172 --> 00:11:21.282
It's the tornado siren of your skin.

00:11:21.980 --> 00:11:22.279
Okay.

00:11:22.279 --> 00:11:35.097
So I found a really interesting statistic, um, when we were prepping for this, you mentioned that there are certain countries where people are more susceptible to skin cancer, melanoma, and one of them is Australia.

00:11:36.008 --> 00:11:42.750
There was a website that talked about five blistering sunburns before the age of 18 increase your risk of skin cancer.

00:11:43.298 --> 00:11:46.498
Five blistering sunburns by the age of 18.

00:11:46.748 --> 00:11:53.278
I'm repeating it because I think every listener can think back to the, to their own history and ask themselves that question.

00:11:53.288 --> 00:11:55.148
Did I have blistering sunburns when I was young?

00:11:56.534 --> 00:11:58.024
And I, I definitely did.

00:11:58.024 --> 00:11:59.207
I remember being a little kid.

00:11:59.240 --> 00:12:08.067
We went to the beach in Southern Florida and my sister and I were playing in the water and sure enough, I had massive blisters on my back.

00:12:08.238 --> 00:12:11.337
And I can remember a few times at the pool as well.

00:12:11.947 --> 00:12:12.238
Yeah.

00:12:12.278 --> 00:12:15.597
I mean, it's not like, well, you've only had four.

00:12:15.597 --> 00:12:16.347
You're fine.

00:12:16.357 --> 00:12:23.827
You know, it's not, That cut and dry, but definitely thinking about, um, yeah, your, your history as a kid.

00:12:24.129 --> 00:12:29.510
And, you know, back then I remember like we used Coppertone, right?

00:12:29.520 --> 00:12:31.530
That was the thing that everyone used back then.

00:12:31.890 --> 00:12:35.020
And I don't remember reapplying it.

00:12:35.729 --> 00:12:36.099
Remember?

00:12:36.099 --> 00:12:44.558
Bando Soleil for the central bay, tan, Bando Soleil for the deep darkening tan.

00:12:44.691 --> 00:12:45.600
You know, the whole commercial.

00:12:45.600 --> 00:12:46.110
That's amazing.

00:12:46.431 --> 00:12:52.571
My aunt used band de soleil and I thought that was so glamorous and so elegant.

00:12:52.581 --> 00:12:55.311
I thought it was like the fancy people.

00:12:55.801 --> 00:12:56.520
Sunscreen.

00:12:56.801 --> 00:13:02.650
No, we use the white copper tone with the little puppy and the little child on the label.

00:13:02.921 --> 00:13:03.301
Yeah.

00:13:03.331 --> 00:13:05.600
No, we, we did not use bandosolate.

00:13:06.110 --> 00:13:08.811
We did use other weird things as teenagers.

00:13:08.841 --> 00:13:16.721
Um, you know, baby oil and all of that, but for sunscreen, it was always copper tone and I don't remember reapplying it.

00:13:16.740 --> 00:13:18.857
And that is a really important part.

00:13:19.312 --> 00:13:21.922
I remember the SPF was like two or four.

00:13:22.044 --> 00:13:24.245
Yeah, it was like SPF four, right?

00:13:24.375 --> 00:13:24.544
Yeah.

00:13:24.544 --> 00:13:32.562
There was no SPF 50 back then, so reapplying every two hours is really important when you come out of the water, you're supposed to reapply.

00:13:32.965 --> 00:13:33.325
Yes.

00:13:33.748 --> 00:13:38.018
If you're doing a sport where you're really perspiring a lot, reapply.

00:13:38.315 --> 00:13:38.605
Yeah.

00:13:38.605 --> 00:13:53.174
I think they say it on the label now every couple hours and it's even less on some of them for the, they have special sports, SPF 30 or 50 for the water, and it's supposed to be a slightly waterproof, but they do tell you when you come out to reapply,

00:13:53.462 --> 00:13:56.442
Yeah, I don't know if people really do that though.

00:13:56.442 --> 00:14:00.052
It's kind of like, how much do you actually apply?

00:14:00.192 --> 00:14:04.653
I think people, especially with the ones that are zinc or titanium oxide, I think people tend to apply.

00:14:05.248 --> 00:14:15.510
Less because they don't want to look like, don't know, We're going to have to put in a reference so people are, you know, people know what Spicoli.

00:14:15.510 --> 00:14:15.681
Yeah.

00:14:15.681 --> 00:14:25.880
They don't want to look like Spicoli, but the amount of sunscreen you're supposed to use for an average size person, whatever that may mean is one ounce.

00:14:25.890 --> 00:14:28.660
So we're talking a shot glass of sunscreen.

00:14:28.918 --> 00:14:29.538
That's a lot.

00:14:29.826 --> 00:14:30.375
That's a lot.

00:14:30.395 --> 00:14:35.378
And so at least a quarter of a teaspoon of that is for your face alone,

00:14:35.403 --> 00:14:46.798
From what you told me earlier, some of the tick tock outrage over these 30 and plus sunblockers is what they contain, like other chemical compounds, right?

00:14:46.975 --> 00:14:47.394
Oh yeah.

00:14:47.414 --> 00:14:55.835
So no, what the, what I saw a dermatologist was clarifying is, I think there was a big concern about sunscreens cause cancer.

00:14:56.134 --> 00:15:04.654
And a few years ago, there was a recall for a bunch of sunscreens because they had a contaminant, which was benzene.

00:15:04.654 --> 00:15:07.089
There is the oxy benzone.

00:15:07.541 --> 00:15:12.883
In a lot of sunscreens, that is one of the chemical sunscreens that protects against the UVA rays.

00:15:13.623 --> 00:15:26.350
The problem is that there was a contaminant and we will link in our show notes notes for, you know, people to look up to if they do have a sunscreen at home that they want to know if it was one of the recalls, if they didn't hear about that.

00:15:26.988 --> 00:15:28.067
And it has a whole list of them.

00:15:28.077 --> 00:15:29.768
A lot of them have already expired.

00:15:30.187 --> 00:15:33.317
Um, but there were some that didn't expire until like 2024.

00:15:35.067 --> 00:15:35.878
So.

00:15:36.648 --> 00:15:38.427
Nobody ever throws out their sunscreen.

00:15:38.437 --> 00:15:41.288
I mean, didn't, did you know that sunscreen had an expiration date?

00:15:41.597 --> 00:15:42.648
Uh, no.

00:15:43.095 --> 00:15:43.380
Yeah.

00:15:43.400 --> 00:15:44.971
So sunscreen has an expiration date.

00:15:45.160 --> 00:15:58.475
And this is something else that I thought was really fascinating is that the organic and by organic, I mean, organic chemicals, like the chemical sunscreens, the oxybenzones and the other things that I don't want to try to pronounce those.

00:15:58.965 --> 00:15:59.684
Do expire.

00:15:59.695 --> 00:16:01.735
They do degrade over time.

00:16:01.745 --> 00:16:12.894
So you do want to, if that's the one that you're using, you do want to replace those regularly, but the mineral sunblocks, the titanium dioxide in the zinc oxide, those don't expire.

00:16:13.215 --> 00:16:14.504
So there is an expiration date.

00:16:14.504 --> 00:16:15.695
Cause those are the ones that I buy.

00:16:15.894 --> 00:16:21.251
And I actually almost threw one out the other day because I was like, Oh, it's past its expiration date.

00:16:21.261 --> 00:16:24.302
And then doing research for this episode, I was like, Oh, I don't have to throw it out.

00:16:24.312 --> 00:16:26.412
It's just, you need to have an expiration date on products.

00:16:27.509 --> 00:16:35.659
well that makes sense because those titanium or zinc ones are actual physical blockages of the rays.

00:16:36.220 --> 00:16:37.110
So they're not going anywhere.

00:16:37.120 --> 00:16:39.035
They're metals and they're just there.

00:16:39.649 --> 00:16:39.999
Right.

00:16:40.009 --> 00:16:42.999
They're not sinking into your skin and creating a barrier.

00:16:42.999 --> 00:16:43.269
Right.

00:16:43.778 --> 00:16:48.482
The other thing about the mineral sunblocks is that when you go in the water.

00:16:48.972 --> 00:17:08.354
So there was a study that compared the two different kinds, the organic and the inorganic, inorganic being the mineral sunscreens that compared the two sunscreens in water as a small study, like 22 people or something, and they To see which still was, you know, more effective after an hour and a half.

00:17:08.374 --> 00:17:10.653
And the mineral sunscreens won out.

00:17:10.653 --> 00:17:14.088
So you still need to reapply it it is, it is something that stays on your body.

00:17:14.090 --> 00:17:16.820
Now are they both reef safe?

00:17:16.939 --> 00:17:22.146
The mineral sunscreens or sunblocks are, and that's a really important thing.

00:17:22.156 --> 00:17:32.309
Um, what Tina means by reef safe is there was a big movement and you said in Hawaii, there are certain sunscreens that are not allowed.

00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:47.237
And what it is, is the chemicals in these organic sunscreens, by organic I'm not meaning like the same thing as like organic food, um, again, it's just, it's a carbon based sunscreen,

00:17:48.169 --> 00:17:49.509
As opposed to mineral based?

00:17:49.576 --> 00:17:50.626
opposed to mineral based?

00:17:51.148 --> 00:17:52.449
Which is zinc and titanium.

00:17:52.608 --> 00:17:52.888
Okay.

00:17:53.067 --> 00:17:53.426
right?

00:17:53.666 --> 00:17:54.027
Yeah.

00:17:54.086 --> 00:17:55.307
No, thanks for clarifying.

00:17:56.037 --> 00:18:00.402
Um, Those can affect the fertility of fish.

00:18:00.412 --> 00:18:02.602
they can kill coral reefs.

00:18:02.632 --> 00:18:04.031
They have killed coral reefs.

00:18:04.531 --> 00:18:07.501
Um, they have been found in tissues of dolphins.

00:18:07.811 --> 00:18:09.451
I mean, the list goes on again.

00:18:09.451 --> 00:18:11.221
We could put a link for that in it.

00:18:11.231 --> 00:18:20.375
The link is through, um, NOAA, which is the, the weather people, not try to remember what NOAA stands for, National something association, oceanic,

00:18:20.991 --> 00:18:21.882
oceanic, Atmospheric.

00:18:23.414 --> 00:18:23.894
something.

00:18:24.444 --> 00:18:24.884
Anyways,

00:18:26.612 --> 00:18:45.480
Yeah, this consequence is really visible in Hawaii, which is why so many, I don't know if it's all the, the entire state of Hawaii, but there are definitely regions where you can, well, they encourage you, they can't stop anyone from doing anything, but they highly encourage you to put on reef safe sunscreens because it's visible.

00:18:45.510 --> 00:18:50.451
There's so many people just doing snorkeling, you know, so many visitors go in and snorkel that.

00:18:51.076 --> 00:18:57.915
Close to the shore, you can see the consequences of all the years of people going in with sunscreens that were killing the coral.

00:18:58.306 --> 00:19:00.016
And killing a lot of the, the life.

00:19:00.026 --> 00:19:01.986
So there's like dead zones almost.

00:19:02.101 --> 00:19:08.217
as opposed to if you go farther out where people aren't so heavily populating the area, you can see how lush the life is underneath.

00:19:08.227 --> 00:19:09.227
So, yeah.

00:19:09.376 --> 00:19:11.126
So it's great that they, that they did that.

00:19:11.126 --> 00:19:18.884
They finally took that step because this has been kind of an issue behind the scenes for a couple of decades, a few decades, I'm sure, since these sunscreens came out.

00:19:18.884 --> 00:19:21.211
So it's good that they're proactively.

00:19:21.506 --> 00:19:24.046
Changing what people, it's all the same.

00:19:24.046 --> 00:19:26.215
I mean, they work just as well as ones that kill the reefs.

00:19:26.276 --> 00:19:27.765
So why not save the reefs?

00:19:27.904 --> 00:19:29.384
I mean, it's not, it's kind of a no brainer.

00:19:29.515 --> 00:19:35.858
in Europe, they've done more testing on different types of sun filters and they do have coral reef safe, products.

00:19:35.858 --> 00:19:37.358
And so they are more expensive.

00:19:37.808 --> 00:19:39.169
You're ordering them from overseas.

00:19:39.169 --> 00:19:40.618
You're going to pay for shipping and all of that.

00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:46.515
And does the environmental working group have a list of safer brands?

00:19:46.731 --> 00:19:57.902
So yeah, the environmental working group has a cosmetic database where they list the different products and they list the ingredients and there's a different rating based on all of the ingredients.

00:19:57.922 --> 00:20:01.662
And I think it can be a little alarming to some people.

00:20:01.922 --> 00:20:04.811
Um, you'll see something that has a little green, like.

00:20:05.416 --> 00:20:15.186
Thumbs up kind of label, and it'll still say that this contains ingredients that might increase your risk of cancer or allergies or anything like that.

00:20:15.186 --> 00:20:17.237
But it's it's all just, information.

00:20:17.517 --> 00:20:25.217
It's probably at higher doses or used in another capacity that that might be a chemical or a compound that is dangerous for you.

00:20:25.227 --> 00:20:29.346
So I don't like people to think of the environmental working group.

00:20:29.856 --> 00:20:33.211
website Um, I don't see it as like a gospel, it's just more of a guide.

00:20:33.769 --> 00:20:48.602
so I'm, I'm comfortable with something that has a three rating and the three rating may not necessarily be a green rating, but I think it's safe for um, you know, just for everyday appropriate use.

00:20:48.808 --> 00:20:51.239
what's their scale when you say three rating on there?

00:20:51.902 --> 00:20:55.991
So the scale is from one to ten, one being best, ten being worst.

00:20:56.281 --> 00:21:05.527
So the, the green is One and two, and then the yellow, which is kind of the caution is the three to six.

00:21:05.527 --> 00:21:14.166
And so that's why I like I'm comfortable using something that's three or four, as long as I'm using it appropriately and I'm not going in excess and it depends on what the chemicals are.

00:21:14.436 --> 00:21:17.819
and then when you get to seven, eight, nine and ten, those are the worst.

00:21:18.301 --> 00:21:20.551
Okay, so I'll give you my take.

00:21:20.821 --> 00:21:23.951
'cause what we haven't talked about is just blocking the sun.

00:21:24.102 --> 00:21:31.255
So I have a, a bevy of straw hats, and I wear them, especially if I'm just working outside and I don't care what I look like.

00:21:31.259 --> 00:21:33.865
I have a nice big, broad straw hat for that.

00:21:34.194 --> 00:21:41.045
I've got a couple of what I would consider decent looking, public facing, straw hats, And then, um.

00:21:41.457 --> 00:21:42.396
I cover up.

00:21:42.487 --> 00:21:46.076
you know, you can wear long sleeves that are actually made for UV.

00:21:46.366 --> 00:21:51.489
So if you're going to be out like kayaking or something like that, cover yourself up with something light.

00:21:51.788 --> 00:21:55.318
Um, and it doesn't keep you warmer if you have the right material and it's lightweight.

00:21:55.868 --> 00:22:02.628
And then I do use the sunscreens because I am just vain enough to not really want photo aging on my face.

00:22:03.118 --> 00:22:04.848
Um, so I'll use them more on my face.

00:22:04.878 --> 00:22:10.251
And don't forget your ears Cause your ears are a common place for various skin cancers to happen.

00:22:10.932 --> 00:22:13.102
Squamous cell and basal cell as you age, especially.

00:22:13.102 --> 00:22:19.011
So the top of your nose, top of your ears and your, you know, which is called décollage,

00:22:19.675 --> 00:22:20.455
Well, that's your neck.

00:22:20.465 --> 00:22:25.115
But then the, what is it, décolletage, something, the upper chest.

00:22:25.238 --> 00:22:26.577
It's some French word we can't say.

00:22:26.577 --> 00:22:26.877
I don't know

00:22:26.877 --> 00:22:42.441
That's right, we can look it up, but we're not going to, um, so yeah, so, so definitely avoiding the sun, whether it's covering up or even just avoiding those prime sun hours, depending on where you live, um, usually it's like 10 a.

00:22:42.441 --> 00:22:42.631
m.

00:22:42.631 --> 00:22:43.230
to 4 p.

00:22:43.230 --> 00:22:43.451
m.

00:22:43.713 --> 00:22:45.973
Back in the day, those were the tanning hours

00:22:46.528 --> 00:22:50.387
Duck away for the prime tanning hours or find, yeah, just find some shade.

00:22:50.438 --> 00:22:50.948
Really?

00:22:51.203 --> 00:22:52.223
Just find some shade.

00:22:52.273 --> 00:22:56.493
Uh, I've seen people even carrying umbrellas, which I think is just so cool.

00:22:56.693 --> 00:22:59.394
Like carrying a parasol to protect yourself from the sun.

00:22:59.416 --> 00:23:00.436
It's a great idea.

00:23:01.166 --> 00:23:03.076
It's used to be done back in the day.

00:23:03.086 --> 00:23:04.106
Let's bring it back.

00:23:04.319 --> 00:23:04.640
Yeah.

00:23:04.660 --> 00:23:06.417
A true Oregonians don't own them though.

00:23:06.738 --> 00:23:13.377
I've seen people in the summer in Oregon, in Portland, carrying umbrellas more than I do see them using it for rain.

00:23:13.377 --> 00:23:14.644
Yeah, no, totally.

00:23:14.663 --> 00:23:15.304
that's true.

00:23:15.933 --> 00:23:16.253
Yeah.

00:23:16.253 --> 00:23:19.851
No, they're, what I don't understand are baseball caps because.

00:23:20.855 --> 00:23:24.326
I have a few baseball caps that I've gotten as gifts.

00:23:24.393 --> 00:23:25.913
they're horrible with blocking the sun.

00:23:25.923 --> 00:23:27.242
They're not about blocking the sun.

00:23:27.597 --> 00:23:28.718
Just for your eyes.

00:23:29.212 --> 00:23:29.972
Just for your eyes.

00:23:30.192 --> 00:23:36.853
What I like are, I have seen some people wearing these giant visors, you know, the visor, like, you know, the tennis

00:23:36.993 --> 00:23:37.413
Oh yeah.

00:23:37.885 --> 00:23:41.261
Chrissy Everett kind of, you know, visor thing, but they're huge.

00:23:41.955 --> 00:23:43.006
I kind of like those.

00:23:43.555 --> 00:23:43.924
Yeah.

00:23:43.934 --> 00:23:44.964
I wouldn't be caught dead in one

00:23:45.271 --> 00:23:48.311
I might, I mean, I might be caught dead or alive wearing one of them.

00:23:49.281 --> 00:23:49.362
Oh.

00:23:50.799 --> 00:23:51.450
That's not my look.

00:23:51.493 --> 00:24:02.333
if I do wear a ball cap out there, it's mostly because, I don't have prescriptive sunglasses, so I want to block the sun there and I'll put sunscreen on my face and neck and ears and stuff, cause I know it's not really protecting me.

00:24:02.884 --> 00:24:03.153
Okay.

00:24:03.153 --> 00:24:08.664
So when you say sunscreen, do you mean like the organic sunscreen or the inorganic with the zinc

00:24:08.718 --> 00:24:11.097
I tend to use the inorganic zinc or titanium.

00:24:11.250 --> 00:24:11.445
Okay.

00:24:11.445 --> 00:24:16.880
And in my training, I was always like encouraged to call those sun block because they are blocking the skin.

00:24:17.817 --> 00:24:18.417
Yes.

00:24:18.771 --> 00:24:20.711
yeah, it's a physical barrier to the rays.

00:24:20.983 --> 00:24:22.094
it's a physical barrier.

00:24:22.354 --> 00:24:37.582
another time I think that people need to be really careful with the sun is driving, because they can take pictures, to show photo aging and typically one person's like the side of their face is More aged than the other side.

00:24:37.582 --> 00:24:40.432
I see that on myself and that's the driver's side.

00:24:40.615 --> 00:24:51.950
So you're We're windows aren't protecting you from these rays and so make sure that you use an appropriate amount of the sunblock when you're driving

00:24:52.083 --> 00:24:52.472
Yeah.

00:24:53.083 --> 00:25:03.680
And you know, we were talking about this before we got on here and, and, the official party line out there looks to me like they talk about tanning almost as an equivalent to burning.

00:25:03.680 --> 00:25:05.990
And I think of them as two totally different things.

00:25:06.799 --> 00:25:13.601
When you get a sunburn, no matter where you get it, how you get it, whether you have sunscreen on or not, it's inflammatory.

00:25:13.621 --> 00:25:18.931
It's damaging literally, and it creates an inflammatory state in the, in the skin.

00:25:19.621 --> 00:25:23.961
And so to me, doing that repeatedly and certainly doing it at an early age.

00:25:24.256 --> 00:25:32.625
Um, and more severely, all of those things are going to be additive in your risk for various skin cancers, whether it's melanoma or basal cell or squamous cell.

00:25:32.875 --> 00:25:49.723
I think of that very different than, for example, you go out a lot and you don't burn and you tan and your skin gets darker, whatever your base you start with, um, if you are someone who does tan and can do it without burning, right?

00:25:49.773 --> 00:25:52.644
you remember that when we were young, we do that too, that everyone would go out and get a base.

00:25:53.003 --> 00:25:55.564
Burn so that the rest of the tanning was faster.

00:25:56.044 --> 00:25:56.624
Not that.

00:25:56.653 --> 00:25:57.624
I'm saying never burn.

00:25:57.983 --> 00:26:10.146
Burning is not good, but slowly increasing your pigmentation seems to be a protective thing because darker skin is more protected than lighter skin as far as Skin cancers go.

00:26:10.596 --> 00:26:11.467
It's not impossible.

00:26:11.467 --> 00:26:12.326
It's just more protected.

00:26:12.709 --> 00:26:30.212
Well, there are, there are people who really cannot have any sun exposure and there is a chart that again, we can put in the show notes, the link to that talks about the types of skin you know, it's based on eye color and skin color and hair color and what your exposure is.

00:26:30.492 --> 00:26:43.347
To the sun can be, and it's typically the sun, you know, unprotected and it's anywhere from five minutes to 20 minutes is what can be, you know, there are some people who can look at a picture of a sun and get a sunburn.

00:26:43.958 --> 00:26:45.728
You know, I mean, they're that sensitive.

00:26:45.728 --> 00:26:49.508
I'm being, I'm being a little silly here, but you know, they're, they are that sensitive.

00:26:49.538 --> 00:26:54.758
And so if you are, I mean, I think these people know who they are, right?

00:26:54.798 --> 00:26:58.643
They, they know how sensitive they are and they typically try to avoid the sun.

00:26:58.643 --> 00:26:58.708
Yeah.

00:26:59.191 --> 00:27:08.188
I don't recommend somebody like that going out with any, without any sort of sun protection, whether it is a sunblock or clothing and a hat.

00:27:08.740 --> 00:27:11.941
Yes, I think fair skinned people know who they are though.

00:27:12.035 --> 00:27:13.575
I mean they know that they burn fast

00:27:13.680 --> 00:27:17.009
Yeah, but you know, you get in a, you know, I think of spring break, right?

00:27:17.039 --> 00:27:20.440
Like spring break in high school and everybody came back burned.

00:27:20.440 --> 00:27:28.502
Even the fair redheads, you know, were burned to a crisp because you're outside and you're partying and you're having a great time and you're young.

00:27:28.866 --> 00:27:31.257
Oh yeah, yeah, so I can think of a vacation.

00:27:31.711 --> 00:27:37.832
I took with my partner and we were at the pool and there was a, a woman who was sleeping, passed out.

00:27:37.852 --> 00:27:43.011
I'm not sure, but let's just say the redness of her skin hurt to just look at it.

00:27:43.011 --> 00:27:44.352
And I was like, I got to wake her up.

00:27:44.352 --> 00:27:47.251
I got to, someone's got to tell her she's got to get out of the sun.

00:27:47.412 --> 00:27:48.811
She's just sitting there baking more and more.

00:27:48.811 --> 00:27:52.875
And I was like, oh my God, it it was going to be so painful once she was either sober or awake.

00:27:52.875 --> 00:27:53.494
I'm not sure.

00:27:54.096 --> 00:27:58.970
You just want to move an umbrella over her and like cover with like a wet towel,

00:27:59.160 --> 00:28:03.536
I was kind of glancing at the people she was with like, uh, hello, No one's doing anything.

00:28:03.695 --> 00:28:12.056
Oh, I remember years ago being at a pool in Vegas and, you know, you start looking at everybody and their, you know, their, their skin.

00:28:12.915 --> 00:28:14.955
I, I'm always looking at people's skin.

00:28:15.336 --> 00:28:16.155
I'm not judging.

00:28:16.165 --> 00:28:16.826
I'm just looking.

00:28:17.236 --> 00:28:21.165
And somebody had on the bottom of their foot, the scariest looking mole.

00:28:21.185 --> 00:28:23.695
And I just remember staring at that from across the pool.

00:28:23.695 --> 00:28:28.165
Maybe it was a birthmark, but I just remember thinking like, Ooh, I hope they know what that is.

00:28:28.165 --> 00:28:29.226
I hope they get that checked out.

00:28:39.835 --> 00:28:54.065
You know, when we talk about various regions and different skin types and stuff, we can see this in the stats, the differences in melanoma rates, especially, and New Zealand and Australia have extremely high rates of skin cancer.

00:28:54.805 --> 00:28:56.055
And there's a couple reasons.

00:28:56.500 --> 00:29:13.194
So people who are from there or live there will have higher rates of Um, various skin cancers, including melanoma, and it has to do with the fact that when they have their summer, it's actually more UV coming through to them than when the northern hemisphere has its summer.

00:29:13.734 --> 00:29:16.815
And so there's actually a higher UV.

00:29:17.089 --> 00:29:22.500
Radiation reaching the earth's surface because of the elliptical pattern and, and when the winter hits.

00:29:22.500 --> 00:29:29.416
And so I thought that was really interesting cause it's, it's like twice as much as, the United States or other European countries.

00:29:29.416 --> 00:29:34.967
And then after that, it's like like Norway and Sweden, the Netherlands, Germany, they're all much higher incident rates.

00:29:34.997 --> 00:29:38.047
And it has to do with, fairer skin in those regions.

00:29:38.432 --> 00:29:41.053
Fairer skin and then location on the planet.

00:29:41.298 --> 00:29:43.348
And the proximity to those rays.

00:29:43.848 --> 00:29:49.378
Um, is there anything that people can do besides wearing the clothing?

00:29:49.502 --> 00:29:58.913
Um, I think if someone has had a lot of sun exposure, you know, as always like eating antioxidant rich foods, colorful foods, really important.

00:29:59.673 --> 00:30:03.843
I remember when I was younger, this is way younger.

00:30:04.272 --> 00:30:08.967
Someone said, when you get a lot of sun exposure, you should come inside and, you should eat tomatoes.

00:30:09.990 --> 00:30:21.009
I think it was because of like the vitamin C and the antioxidants, but it was just something that I did like in my teens, you know, in early twenties is like, Oh, if you get sun exposure, just make sure you eat tomatoes.

00:30:21.029 --> 00:30:23.000
And it kind of corresponds, right?

00:30:23.000 --> 00:30:26.799
I mean, summertime tomatoes are ripe, grab a tomato.

00:30:27.259 --> 00:30:42.970
Um, I think also that, not doing things like drinking a lot of alcohol when you're out in the sun, because that's going to dehydrate your skin as well, um, you, you know, you might not necessarily reapply the sunscreen.

00:30:43.000 --> 00:30:50.290
Um, yeah, I'm just trying to think of like certain things, if there's anything I don't know if there's anything proven

00:30:50.673 --> 00:30:54.513
I always think of vitamin D status, the irony of this, right?

00:30:55.013 --> 00:30:59.220
People with lower vitamin D levels have, there's a higher risk factor for melanoma.

00:30:59.220 --> 00:31:02.570
So, Vitamin D deficiency is considered a risk factor.

00:31:02.931 --> 00:31:04.750
Of course, vitamin D comes from sunshine.

00:31:05.240 --> 00:31:07.290
So, this is the conundrum, right?

00:31:07.290 --> 00:31:11.621
We tell people, don't get too much sun, but get enough to get your vitamin D.

00:31:12.030 --> 00:31:14.451
And, you know, we all say 15 minutes a day.

00:31:14.635 --> 00:31:15.986
Depends a little bit on your latitude.

00:31:16.094 --> 00:31:19.429
this is why I go back to, you know, Don't let your skin get damaged.

00:31:19.479 --> 00:31:20.858
You do want some sunshine.

00:31:20.858 --> 00:31:22.898
I mean, sunshine is good for your circadian rhythm.

00:31:22.919 --> 00:31:27.318
Sunlight is one of the ways that we set our diurnal patterns in ourselves.

00:31:27.318 --> 00:31:33.343
Our, our entire body relies on Sunlight and night to know what 24 hours is.

00:31:33.663 --> 00:31:34.353
And so.

00:31:35.337 --> 00:31:36.498
We don't want to go without it.

00:31:36.657 --> 00:31:38.000
We don't want to always be in the dark.

00:31:38.050 --> 00:31:41.431
sunshine is, you know, it's an element of good health to us.

00:31:41.431 --> 00:31:42.901
I mean, it's as important as clean air.

00:31:43.230 --> 00:31:44.570
So we do want to get sunshine.

00:31:44.580 --> 00:31:46.540
We just don't want to damage our skin in the process.

00:31:46.540 --> 00:31:51.570
So that's where you have to be individual in how you treat this.

00:31:51.570 --> 00:31:53.881
Like one person can be out there two hours, no problem.

00:31:53.881 --> 00:31:57.575
Another person, 20 minutes is all they can do without, you know, risking a sunburn.

00:31:58.217 --> 00:32:00.747
or less, yeah, or, or, or less.

00:32:00.747 --> 00:32:09.817
And so don't, if, if someone is reading, oh, 15 minutes of unprotected sun to get my vitamin D, That might not be true for that person.

00:32:09.826 --> 00:32:18.477
It may be just five minutes, and it might not be true at all, because they might live in Oregon in the winter, where you're not gonna get any.

00:32:18.972 --> 00:32:19.363
Yeah.

00:32:19.692 --> 00:32:55.153
And, And, if you did, you know, burn a lot when you were young, for example, for various reasons, you wanted to get that tan and you didn't have the skin type for it, but you tried anyways, then, Know that that risk factor is already in the bank, and you want to be even more careful as you go forward, and I would say, you make an appointment with a dermatologist every once in a while, depending on your age and where you are and, you know, your access to that, but if you can get a skin check, I would say 50 years old, you get a baseline skin check, and then the dermatologist will tell you, you know, whether you're high risk, low risk, whether you should come back in, a year or six months or five years.

00:32:55.153 --> 00:33:01.804
I mean, it depends, but I think this goes in my column of like, when you turn 50 of things to take care of, give yourself a couple of years to do it.

00:33:01.804 --> 00:33:03.359
But you should have had your colonoscopy.

00:33:03.359 --> 00:33:06.980
You should have at least a baseline DEXA scan, get some blood work done.

00:33:06.980 --> 00:33:13.220
I mean, you just, if you can, if you have access to such things and you can make them happen, then I think it's important

00:33:13.574 --> 00:33:37.229
I, I, I would say before 50, if you have a history of a lot of burns as a child, and a lot of sun exposure, I have seen patients with melanoma who are super young, so I would say if, yeah, if you have any sort of blistering burn history, find a dermatologist, get mole checks regularly, I mean it's, you know, if you have tanning bed history, just do that.

00:33:37.632 --> 00:33:40.021
And do self checks too.

00:33:40.517 --> 00:33:40.856
Right.

00:33:40.886 --> 00:33:47.683
I mean, interestingly, you know, I went to the dermatologist, they don't check my nethers, you know, so you have to do some self checks too.

00:33:47.832 --> 00:33:51.701
Um, one thing I do want to add, which we didn't cover, um, is SPF.

00:33:53.000 --> 00:33:53.641
What it means.

00:33:53.737 --> 00:34:03.421
Yeah, so when you go to the store, you don't really see like SPF 4 so much anymore, it's always SPF 30, SPF 50, 70, 100.

00:34:03.421 --> 00:34:05.570
Are those higher numbers better?

00:34:05.570 --> 00:34:13.481
When I was a kid, I remembered learning that SPF 4 meant you could stay out in the sun four times longer.

00:34:13.521 --> 00:34:16.411
SPF 8 meant you could stay out in the sun eight times longer.

00:34:16.800 --> 00:34:17.811
That's not true.

00:34:18.380 --> 00:34:37.697
It has to do more with The, the dosage of the sun that you're getting, it's actually the minimal erythema dose, the med value that they look at, and they compare the med value of protected skin and the med value of unprotected skin.

00:34:37.697 --> 00:34:40.061
And that's how they come up with, the SPF value.

00:34:40.222 --> 00:34:54.492
and that was a big concern with some of the, um, With some of the more popular brands of sunscreen as well, is that their stated SPF value wasn't what was in the product.

00:34:54.492 --> 00:34:57.842
So the bottle said one thing that that was an issue that had come up as well.

00:34:58.472 --> 00:35:03.054
and also the issue of balance, because you want to to find something that says broad spectrum.

00:35:03.474 --> 00:35:06.045
And so it covers all the UV rays.

00:35:06.045 --> 00:35:08.114
It's not just blocking one or the other.

00:35:08.565 --> 00:35:11.594
And so that was another concern.

00:35:11.704 --> 00:35:17.509
So you know, if you're not doing the mineral ones, the mineral sun blocks, look for European sunscreens.

00:35:17.855 --> 00:35:21.565
They're supposed to be, they, they are, the EU is a lot stricter.

00:35:21.639 --> 00:35:30.652
With their regulations in terms of, safety and, like I mentioned with the coral reefs and marine life, but also making sure that their products are.

00:35:31.231 --> 00:35:32.072
what they say they are.

00:35:32.599 --> 00:35:32.969
Yeah.

00:35:33.559 --> 00:35:33.829
Yeah.

00:35:33.829 --> 00:35:38.266
And no matter what you use or what you do, just be cognizant of it too.

00:35:38.266 --> 00:35:42.947
I mean, just know that you're out there in the peak hours or know your own limits.

00:35:42.967 --> 00:35:45.293
I feel like each of us could be more.

00:35:46.951 --> 00:35:54.740
I used a, I used a brand that will remain unnamed that when I put it on, I swear to God, it made me burn faster.

00:35:54.840 --> 00:35:56.911
It was supposed to be a sunscreen.

00:35:56.911 --> 00:36:00.880
It was, you know, eco friendly, yada, yada, fill in the blanks.

00:36:00.900 --> 00:36:02.030
It was zinc based.

00:36:02.221 --> 00:36:05.371
I know that I felt like I put oil on myself or something.

00:36:05.481 --> 00:36:06.650
I got darker faster.

00:36:06.701 --> 00:36:09.010
I don't think it did what the label claimed it did.

00:36:09.061 --> 00:36:18.641
So I'm just saying that because no matter what you get, you know, if there's going to be false labels out there or anything like that, you probably know yourself better than anything and just don't, don't let it happen.

00:36:18.661 --> 00:36:21.840
Just wear another layer, go into the shade, put on a hat.

00:36:21.851 --> 00:36:23.260
I to me, that's more reliable.

00:36:23.561 --> 00:36:26.550
I know if you're on a boat or you're swimming, you can't do all those things.

00:36:26.561 --> 00:36:34.664
So you have to use sunscreen some of the time, but I feel like protecting yourself from the rays is going to be more reliable in the grand scheme of things.

00:36:34.860 --> 00:36:36.440
And I, I've been trying to do both.

00:36:36.481 --> 00:36:44.121
I mean, I think I've been pretty careless throughout the years and you know, I'm one where vanity, I mean, it's, it's, it's.

00:36:44.590 --> 00:36:52.978
It's a reality in my life and I kind of wish because I have noticed, especially living in Arizona, having the more sun damage on one side of my face.

00:36:53.277 --> 00:36:54.398
I wish I was more diligent.

00:36:54.398 --> 00:37:05.418
I use like the makeup like BB creams and moisturizers that have sunscreen in them, but you're not applying enough of it in order to actually make it effective.

00:37:05.851 --> 00:37:07.621
I now have like a stick.

00:37:07.630 --> 00:37:12.081
It looks like a little tiny deodorant stick and it's really thick and I apply that.

00:37:12.081 --> 00:37:16.360
I don't care if my face is two shades whiter than the rest of my, you know, my face, ears and neck.

00:37:16.360 --> 00:37:16.920
I don't care.

00:37:17.490 --> 00:37:19.331
I'm at the age where I just don't care.

00:37:19.581 --> 00:37:28.117
Um, and I know that's not going to work for everybody, because I am a type 3 skin, and so I do have lighter skin.

00:37:28.472 --> 00:37:29.782
Wait, what's type three skin?

00:37:29.782 --> 00:37:31.521
That

00:37:31.581 --> 00:37:32.992
so, you want to go through the types?

00:37:32.992 --> 00:37:33.262
Okay.

00:37:33.561 --> 00:37:38.434
So the types are, type 1 skin is, it's very light skin.

00:37:38.914 --> 00:37:44.144
It often has freckles, um, usually the person has reddish or strawberry blonde hair.

00:37:44.635 --> 00:37:46.605
Their eyes are very light, blue or gray.

00:37:47.005 --> 00:37:52.005
type two skin is light skin, freckles, blonde or brown hair.

00:37:52.215 --> 00:37:53.614
Eye colors can be anything.

00:37:54.054 --> 00:38:02.175
Type three skin is light or light brown skin, rarely with freckles, dark blonde or brown hair, gray or brown eyes.

00:38:03.364 --> 00:38:03.905
sounds like me.

00:38:04.275 --> 00:38:05.045
Wait, was that three?

00:38:05.150 --> 00:38:06.309
No, that's three.

00:38:06.440 --> 00:38:07.559
I think you're four.

00:38:07.722 --> 00:38:08.032
okay.

00:38:08.170 --> 00:38:14.949
Four is light brown or olive colored skin, no freckles, dark brown hair, brown or dark brown eyes.

00:38:15.626 --> 00:38:16.257
I think that's you.

00:38:16.782 --> 00:38:22.123
Um, type five is dark brown skin, dark brown or black hair, and dark brown eyes.

00:38:22.733 --> 00:38:27.793
And then type six is dark brown or black skin, black hair and dark brown eyes.

00:38:28.273 --> 00:38:32.753
So a big problem with these mineral.

00:38:33.853 --> 00:38:40.023
Inorganic sunblocks is the darker the complexion, the more obvious it is.

00:38:40.362 --> 00:38:50.193
Some of the products do eventually sink into your skin, but, um, there are mineral based sunblocks that are.

00:38:50.302 --> 00:38:52.393
Made specifically for darker complexions.

00:38:52.393 --> 00:38:53.853
And so I'll try to look some up.

00:38:54.322 --> 00:38:56.222
People probably know this better than I do.

00:38:56.242 --> 00:39:01.065
I'm just going to look and see what is recommended by, dermatologists on the webs.

00:39:01.715 --> 00:39:05.335
But if you know a product, then comment.

00:39:05.545 --> 00:39:07.865
Let me know what your favorite product is.

00:39:08.079 --> 00:39:10.889
Because not everybody wants to look like Spicoli.

00:39:12.125 --> 00:39:19.552
No, that's, that's helpful because those skin types are what I'm talking about when I say we each need to know our own, limits to our sun exposure.

00:39:19.581 --> 00:39:27.474
And that's your skin type will, have a lot to do with how much you can be exposed, if at all, to sunshine before you get sun damage.

00:39:27.666 --> 00:39:37.956
And I think, I mean, I don't have the statistics in front of me, but I think people think that, oh, I naturally have a darker complexion, that I don't need this, this sun protection.

00:39:38.257 --> 00:39:39.217
And you do.

00:39:39.547 --> 00:39:43.436
I think the statistic for melanoma is like one in a thousand.

00:39:43.550 --> 00:39:52.619
For somebody with black skin, that's still a lot of people, you know, I mean, it sounds like, oh, well, that's not so bad, but that still is a lot of people.

00:39:52.619 --> 00:39:54.528
And, and somebody has got to be that one.

00:39:54.704 --> 00:39:56.135
So it's better to be safe.

00:39:56.155 --> 00:40:01.784
And don't think that just because you're dark, darker complexion, that it's necessarily going to, um, protect you.

00:40:01.795 --> 00:40:09.264
So make sure you're wearing that big broad hat, make sure you're, you know, wearing the long sleeve clothing and avoiding sun during those hours.

00:40:09.635 --> 00:40:16.414
Yeah, and you know how I opened this with the fact that there is more incidence of melanoma in Oregon than Texas?

00:40:16.768 --> 00:40:21.398
But, people are more likely to die of melanoma in Texas than in Oregon.

00:40:21.398 --> 00:40:21.465
Mm hmm.

00:40:21.465 --> 00:40:21.646
What

00:40:22.764 --> 00:40:28.614
Mortality rates are higher from melanoma in Texas than they are in Oregon, even though the incidence is higher in Oregon.

00:40:28.835 --> 00:40:31.974
So What that tells you, it's, it's, it's caught early here

00:40:32.036 --> 00:40:33.396
I was going to say this detection.

00:40:33.396 --> 00:40:33.786
Yeah.

00:40:33.797 --> 00:40:44.887
yes, that has to do with early detection because I think right now for stage one melanoma, 94 point something percent have no recurrence after five years.

00:40:44.980 --> 00:40:51.889
So it's a, it's a pretty solid statistic and, and if it's let go to later stages, then those percentages go down significantly.

00:40:51.929 --> 00:40:54.980
So, yeah, so that's why we're into screening, of course, right?

00:40:54.980 --> 00:41:07.250
This is why we talk about it, you and I, is making sure that you do self checks and, uh, if you see anything change in a mole or a new mole come up or a sensation that's new, that suddenly itches and it never did before, always get it checked out.

00:41:07.920 --> 00:41:08.400
It doesn't hurt.

00:41:08.507 --> 00:41:12.367
Um, and lotions actually are apparently the better form to use.

00:41:12.367 --> 00:41:17.387
So I don't know about my waxy stick, but, lotions are better than the sprays.

00:41:17.407 --> 00:41:21.318
And I have found a product that is a mineral based spray.

00:41:21.782 --> 00:41:29.871
And with minerals, you want to make sure that it's not the nano minerals, because the nano minerals are also harmful to the marine life.

00:41:30.231 --> 00:41:32.460
Well, and I think they're small enough to absorb.

00:41:32.632 --> 00:41:33.311
Well, there you go.

00:41:33.900 --> 00:41:35.760
I don't really want the titanium being absorbed.

00:41:36.271 --> 00:41:38.760
You know, it's just not one of those things I want much of.

00:41:38.990 --> 00:41:39.351
Zinc?

00:41:39.380 --> 00:41:39.782
All right.

00:41:40.016 --> 00:41:41.516
I can probably get over that one.

00:41:41.775 --> 00:41:42.175
But

00:41:42.726 --> 00:42:00.842
I think, I think they're more appealing because they'll sink in more and you know, you're not having the, the, the little glow, but I think of it as a base layer and then I put my tinted moisturizer on top it doesn't actually increase your protection by using like 30 sunblock and then putting a 30, moisturizer on top of that.

00:42:00.842 --> 00:42:02.121
That it's not added.

00:42:02.530 --> 00:42:04.539
it doesn't, it doesn't give you 60, 30 plus 30.

00:42:04.661 --> 00:42:05.532
It's not additive.

00:42:05.532 --> 00:42:07.112
No, unfortunately.

00:42:07.659 --> 00:42:09.349
And I just want to add one more thing.

00:42:09.905 --> 00:42:16.675
If you are going through chemotherapy, immunotherapy, check and see if even being in the sun is safe.

00:42:17.393 --> 00:42:17.784
Yes.

00:42:17.824 --> 00:42:19.193
And that's true of a lot of medications.

00:42:19.233 --> 00:42:22.934
Actually, there's a lot of medications that make you photosensitive.

00:42:23.123 --> 00:42:23.273
And

00:42:23.440 --> 00:42:30.449
Yeah, because that, that, that is a big thing that can make you more, more sensitive to the sun and you can get a bad burn.

00:42:30.693 --> 00:42:32.713
Yeah, nothing will protect you except shade.

00:42:33.139 --> 00:42:36.489
Make sure you check out the episode we did on vitamin D.

00:42:36.489 --> 00:42:38.630
We'll put a link to that in the show notes.

00:42:38.760 --> 00:42:44.224
And, um, yeah, if you have any questions about anything that we've talked about, then, yeah.

00:42:44.724 --> 00:42:46.264
Definitely drop us a note.

00:42:46.534 --> 00:42:50.275
You can email us at the cancer pod at gmail.

00:42:50.304 --> 00:42:50.715
com.

00:42:51.054 --> 00:43:02.766
You can go to our website and there is a place where you can click on a little button, you'll see it off to the right side of the screen and you can record us a message, yeah.

00:43:03.215 --> 00:43:05.085
Yeah, record a message that we can play on the air.

00:43:05.085 --> 00:43:05.724
That would be fun

00:43:05.956 --> 00:43:07.496
No, one's recorded us a message.

00:43:07.496 --> 00:43:11.137
we do get we get messages through our website.

00:43:11.275 --> 00:43:13.284
Yes, no audio.

00:43:13.317 --> 00:43:14.527
No audio yet.

00:43:14.985 --> 00:43:16.784
Maybe everyone listening is an introvert.

00:43:17.190 --> 00:43:18.201
They don't want to be aired.

00:43:18.682 --> 00:43:23.722
listening whoever's listening right now, go to the website, thecancerpod.

00:43:24.063 --> 00:43:24.483
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00:43:25.170 --> 00:43:30.469
Find the little microphone, on the right hand side, click on it and leave us a message.

00:43:30.469 --> 00:43:30.802
Say hi.

00:43:30.976 --> 00:43:32.166
I was listening to your episode.

00:43:32.996 --> 00:43:33.896
I'm leaving you a message.

00:43:34.896 --> 00:43:35.545
That's all you have to do.

00:43:36.896 --> 00:43:38.893
Or you could say, disagree with everything you said,

00:43:40.181 --> 00:43:42.021
But I still listened to the end and heard this

00:43:42.103 --> 00:43:43.822
but I listened all the way through.

00:43:45.898 --> 00:43:46.507
So here I am.

00:43:47.110 --> 00:43:48.139
On that note, I'm Dr.

00:43:48.139 --> 00:43:48.840
Leah Sherman,

00:43:49.478 --> 00:43:50.228
And I'm Dr.

00:43:50.228 --> 00:43:50.887
Tina Kaeser.

00:43:51.010 --> 00:43:52.179
and this is the Cancer Pod.

00:43:52.614 --> 00:43:53.434
Until next time.

00:44:26.981 --> 00:44:27.882
That'll do, pig.

00:44:29.670 --> 00:44:29.989
It'll do.