If your favorite way to workout means spending time outdoors biking, hiking, running or walking, you already know that you need to protect yourself from the increasingly potent rays of the sun. “One of the biggest mistakes that one can make when exercising outdoors is to forego sunscreen application,” says California dermatologist, and President of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Mitchel Goldman, MD.
“The rationale for doing this is the notion that there are no harmful burning rays early in the morning. The fact is UV rays are present all the time, not just between the hours of 10 and 2. UVB rays, the ones that burn, may not be as strong at 7 AM, but more and more, dermatologists are realizing that UVA rays are equally, if not more, dangerous, because they penetrate deeper into the skin. Those rays are present all the time, you even absorb them through glass,” emphasizes Dr. Goldman.
An avid long-distance cyclist, Dr. Goldman has looked into additional ways to protect the skin from the sun. He advises fellow cyclists, and patients, to use a daily dietary supplement called Heliocare®, derived from a tropical fern called Polypodium leucotomos. “Taking a supplement to enhance sun protection makes complete sense,” says Dr. Goldman. “You get protection from outside and inside the body*, where the sun causes the proliferation of cell-damaging free radicals. Heliocare presents a new way of looking at sun protection and as we see greater and greater numbers of people with sun-related skin damage, dermatologists are advocating for as much protection as possible.” Dr. Goldman also recommends wearing clothing that is black or dark blue and tightly woven. “It’s true you may feel warmer in these colors, but if you can see light through your clothing, it is not protecting you.”
“Skiing,” says this expert “is a classic example of a truly sun-dangerous outdoor activity. It’s exhilarating and fun, but snow skiing and even water skiing are sports that can harm the skin. Mountain skiing gives you to 50% more exposure to the sun, because of the higher altitudes. Both water and snow skiing reflect the sun’s rays back at you and require serious sun protection.”
About HELIOCARE® Sun Protection
The powerful antioxidant formula in each capsule of HELIOCARE® is naturally derived from the extract of Polypodium leucotomos (PLE), a fern native to Central and South America that has been used for centuries as a remedy for skin related conditions. This fern, which was once an aquatic plant, adapted to life on land and created its own protection from exposure to harsh UV rays. By utilizing this organically grown extract, HELIOCARE® delivers antioxidants that begin to help protect the skin from the first day of use*.
About Dr. Mitchel Goldman
Dermatologist, Mitchel Goldman, MD resides in a suburb of San Diego, California called Cardiff, frequently dubbed “The Tri-Athlete Capital of the World.” In private practice, he is President of the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and a member of The Challenge Athletes Foundation, a group that supports American war veterans with post traumatic stress disorder. He is an avid long distance cyclist. For more information, please visit www.gbkderm.com.
Heliocare® retails for $29.99 and can be purchased at Walgreens and Rite Aid locations nationwide.
