Time for science! I undertake research projects each year together with medical students from the Erasmus University. Soon I will be carrying out two more very interesting studies. What are we going to be doing in the next few weeks? (more…)
Nowadays, the magic word for treating wrinkles and fine lines from the inside out is collagen. But there is another substance produced in the body which is fundamental in skin ageing, and that is hyaluronic acid (always a difficult name to pronounce). I would like to tell you more about it. (more…)
I think that the nicest thing about Winter, perhaps, is that Spring will be here again. Because that I can thoroughly enjoy! In the last few days that initial Spring sun on your skin has been glorious. It does seem slightly crazy that in a few days we will be leaving for Lapland to enjoy our family holiday in the snow and freezing temperatures. And last month it was even -25°C there! And while I am busy packing all those thermals, an enormous pile of woolly hats, gloves and heavy snow boots, the terraces here are all full. The warm weather has come early this year; never too early for me, personally, however, it is for my website www.smeerjein.nl, which is currently being updated.
A couple of weeks ago I was invited by the programme Radar to speak about after sun products. I had to consider whether to do it or not, as I am not too keen on television presentations. In contrast to interviews for magazines, you have little control over what and how your story is broadcast. Some cutting and pasting can, in no time, make your carefully thought out statements sound very different than you intended. Having said that, I did give my story to Radar in the end. Because sun burn is so common. And the incorrect use of after sun can do your skin a lot of harm. For the purpose of clarity I have put it all down on paper for you.
“If you really want to know the age of a woman, look at her hands, don’t look at her face. The face may trick you, but the hands never do.”
In my previous blog I promised to bring you some Oats Do-it-yourself tips. Oatmeal contains lots of different active properties, making it very versatile. You’ll discover this if you search the internet; oatmeal is used for treating athlete’s foot, chicken pox, insect bites, itching, eczema, dry skin, allergic reactions, ichthyosis, sun burn and skin irritation from using Vitamin A Acid (research).
Those who regularly read my blog know that my great passion is, not only skincare products but, in fact everything to do with keeping our skin healthy. And high up on the list is, of course, sun protection. Even though we haven’t seen much of the sun for a while and are desperate for some, it is good to first stop and think about sun protection. Because the sun can cause a lot of damage even in cloudy weather. We think that in the Netherlands it isn’t so dangerous, but hardly anywhere else (in Europe) has as much skin cancer as here. Furthermore, the numbers are increasing dramatically and we are seeing it in more and more younger people. Even though an estimated 90% of the skin cancer cases are preventable! Therefore: ‘Smear it All Over!!’
A lesson in sun protection
If you read my blog regularly, then you will know how important I find protecting your skin against the sun. Too much sun causes not only wrinkles, pigmentation and sagging skin, but also skin cancer. Now, more people in the Netherlands are dying from skin cancer than road traffic accidents. Moreover, the number of people with skin cancer has increased dramatically! Protecting yourself in the sun from its dangers is always necessary, but especially in childhood when sun damage can cause an awful lot of harm. So isn’t it strange that our children receive lessons in “road safety”Âť, but actually learn very little about the dangers of the sun. For example, did you know that if your child is badly sunburnt once, the chances of them getting melanoma (the most dangerous form of skin cancer) is increased by 50%? Using sun beds can also do an awful lot of damage. Regular use of a sun bed under the age of 35 increases the risk of skin cancer by up to 75%! It’s not for nothing that sun beds are banned in Brazil and some states in Australia…
Itchiness and bumps through exposure to the sun can test your good mood. Many people who suffer from this think that they are allergic to the sun. However, this is often not the case; actual sun allergy ( also known as PMLE) is quite rare and the symptoms usually appear after a day (or even later) and remain for days afterwards.
I regularly give interviews about sun protection. And I am incredibly happy that I get the opportunity, as the more people that know how to protect themselves in the sun the better. Not only, of course, to prevent skin ageing, but also to stop the explosive increase in the number of people with skin cancer.
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