We all love the sun, but it’s more of a love/hate relationship.  We love the golden tan the sun provides, but we hate the wrinkles and age spots.  Even worse, excessive sun exposure can be life threatening.  It’s responsible for over a million new cases of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers every year.

Aside from a healthy snack, grape seed has been used as an anti-aging ingredient [against free radicals] in many beauty products, but a recent study has shown chemicals found in grape seeds may also help prevent skin cancer.  Researchers at the University of Alabama exposed hairless mice to ultraviolet rays in order to determine whether the presence of grape seed proanthocyanidins (GSP) in the diet affects the skin’s reaction to sunlight.

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Protecting your face from the sun is crucial but it’s not the only thing you should protect!  To keep you looking your best, make sure you apply sunscreen to the backs of your hands everyday.  The skin on our hands is very thin and delicate, it’s also one of the first places that show signs of aging.  It’s important to care for all of your skin, not just your face.

Do your friends constantly say your skin looks like the hide of cowboy’s saddle?  Do you look for the nearest tanning salon when you visit your relatives over the holidays?  Well, you might just be addicted to tanning, well, more like addicted to the endorphins your body creates when exposed to ultraviolet (UV) radiation.  According to a recent study in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, people may be addicted to UV light, both physically and psychologically.

Dr. Robin Hornung [Division of Dermatology at the University of Washington] studied 385 male and female students to determine if a substance-related disorder (SRD) was the reason some students are “hooked” on tanning.  “Previous experiments [show] that UV light causes [an] endorphin release similar to the euphoric sensation associated with the  intense exercise commonly known as ‘runners high’ or other pleasure seeking behavior,”  Dr. Hornung explains.  Students who tan regularly may experience this high and become addicted to the act of tanning.  Like other addictive practices, such as drinking or smoking, 41% [of the students] say relaxation is a motivating factor in their tanning habits.  Unfortunately, studies have shown that with an increased knowledge of the dangers involved in overexposure to UV, unhealthy habits and attitudes among “high risk” age groups (adolescents and young adults) remain unchanged.

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