Technology
Finishing the job
Minimising sun damage when sailing has long been a major concern for sailors but a casual conversation with America’s Cup winner Jimmy Spithill highlighted the second part of the equation for dermatologist Edit Harken
It was a beautiful breezy September morning in 2014 during the famous (or infamous) E-scow Blue Chip invitational regatta when I finally decided to start a skin care line for sailors. As a tradition, my husband Peter (Harken) and I hosted the mystery guest at our house every year. Pewaukee Yacht Club has always invited sailors that had an outstanding accomplishment the previous year and although it wasn’t the Rolex World Sailor of the Year Award, Peter, Olaf (Harken) and the rest of the yacht club gang somehow always managed to convince the sailors that competing in an E-scow invitational with the best of the inland sailors may just be the biggest honour and challenge of their life. ‘That morning I served breakfast to Jimmy Spithill, who, the previous year, had won the America’s Cup in the ‘biggest comeback of sport history’. I have had talks with him in the past about his white freckly skin and helped him out on occasions. Jimmy grew up in Australia on the water as a red head, so he certainly was aware of the importance of sun protection and was very good at
70 SEAHORSE
using sunscreen. As I have been regularly asked for my advice about sunscreens in the past, Jimmy’s question took me by surprise. He wasn’t asking about sunscreens, instead, he wanted my opinion about what to use to repair his skin after a long day of sailing. He, the consummate professional, wanted professional advice on how to mitigate the damage and keep his skin from aging as quickly as all his older mates’ skin.
I had been thinking about creating a sunscreen for sailors for a while, but this was my eureka moment and the inspiration for a comprehensive ‘two-step solution’ that not only includes a professional grade all- mineral sunscreen, but also has an after-sun antioxidant barrier repair moisturizer. As I regularly explain to my patients, sunscreen is the first line of defence and the antioxidants are the warriors of second line defense. These two products are designed to complement each other to achieve the maximal cancer prevention and anti-aging efficacy. I realised that sailors don’t have time to see a dermatologist unless
Above: for professional racing sailors staying out of the sun simply isnʼt an option. The triple threat of wind, water and sun
wreaks havoc on the skin causing DNA, oxidative and skin barrier damage. Repeated exposure puts sailors at a very high risk of skin cancer and accelerated ageing of the skin
unfortunately they are forced to, due to skin cancer. They don’t have time to read, ask or get advice although they need it the most. The triple threat of wind, water and sun wreaks havoc on their skin due to those elements causing DNA, oxidative and skin barrier damage and repeated, cumulative exposure puts them at a very high risk not just for skin cancer, but for accelerated aging too. Sailors’ skin needs strong sun protection, antioxidant defence and skin barrier repair as well as strong anti-aging, collagen stimulatory help. I felt sailors were not the type that would want to use many different products, and therefore I needed to put all the necessary, but still appropriate ingredients, together in a high potency formulation. As I explained to Jimmy that morning, there was a trick about anti-aging products for sailors; dermatologists adore vitamin A-type ingredients (retinol, retinoic acid) for their strong anti-aging effects, however those ingredients also increase the risk for sunburn. Therefore, I would always recommend them with caution to professional sailors and preferred
LUNAROSSA
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