Did you know that 78,000 Canadians will be diagnosed with skin cancer this year? 5,500 of those cases will be skin cancer’s deadliest form, Melanoma.  La Roche-Posay, the #1 Dermatologist recommended skin care brand, needs your help to raise sun protection awareness with Save Lives!

La Roche-Posay has introduced the Save Lives! Program. The objective of the campaign is to raise awareness about Melanoma and the importance of sun protection and early detection.

Head on over to the La Roche-Posay facebook page and check out the Save Lives! Program feature. Build your awareness on the importance of sun protection and knowledge of Melanoma. While you’re at it you can also vote for your favorite submissions in the advice gallery. The number of stories you vote for is unlimited and you can vote daily until July 15^th! The stories with the most votes will have the greater chance of winning prizes. Don’t forget to share this program with your family and friends, so that they can participate and vote too.

This campaign really hits home for me as my Father has caught and managed to beat Melanoma twice now. There are many others who aren’t so fortunate.

Did you know…

·         Your skin is damaged after 15 minutes of unprotected exposure to the sun.

·         You  need to use a golf ball-sized amount of sunscreen to adequately protect yourself from head to toe.

·         43% of individuals only apply sunscreen when the sun is very intense.

·         36% of Canadians think having a tan is important.

·         Melanoma represents 1/3 of all new cancers – one of the fastest growing cancers worldwide.

·         In North America, one person dies from melanoma every hour.

·         1 in 7 Canadians will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.

·         7 in 10 women don’t know how to properly apply sunscreen lotion.

·         4 in 10 individuals don’t use sunscreen because of texture.

The facts are a real eye opener, aren’t they?! Remember 90% of skin cancers can be cured if detected early enough and Canadians can visit MySkinCheck.ca for tools and resources needed to check themselves for early signs of skin cancer.

My family is very vigilant with their sun protection. Being fair skinned, we burn easily. I pack a sun care kit whenever we go out. The kit contains sunscreen of varying SPF, hats, SPF lip gloss, water (y’know to prevent dehydration), SPF swim wear and sunglasses. If we know we’re going to be outside for an extended period of time, we also look for an area with ample amounts of sheltered areas and/or shade. We don’t like to take any chances.

How do you go about protecting yourself and family while out in the sun?