Sun-Proofing Your Child's Skin: Dr. JJ's guest blog as seen on Huffington Post

This month marks the beginning of beach vacations, pool parties and outdoor BBQs, which means it's a crucial time to keep your child's skin protected from the sun's harmful UV rays. May's National Skin Cancer Awareness Month reminds us all to practice sun safety -- not just during the year's hottest months, but year round. A parent has good reason to engage in sun protection early on: One blistering sunburn from unprotected sun exposure as a child can possibly double the risk of melanoma (the most serious form of skin cancer) later in life. And one in 55 people will be diagnosed with melanoma during their lifetime, according to The Skin Cancer Foundation.

In spite of these sobering statistics, most of us -- more than 66 percent -- don't use sun protection regularly. But if we help the youngest members of the family start off on the right track, and as parents we begin to practice what we preach, our children will be more likely to make a habit out of protecting themselves.

To find out how, click here to read more from Dr. JJ's guest blog on Huffington Post.

Baby Silk Honored with 2 Major Awards!

What a week we've had! We learned, in the span of 2 days, that our Baby Silk line was honored with not one, but TWO very exciting awards!
Our Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes were honored last week with the prestigious NAPPA Gold Award (the National Parenting Publications Awards' highest honor) and our Soothing Bottom Relief Diaper Rash Cream and Gentle All-Over Clean Cleansing Towelettes each won a PTPA (Parent Tested Parent Approved) Award!
Having one product recognized like this is an honor...but three? Wow. Just wow!
The NAPPA seal is one that is recognized by parents everywhere and is a great mark of credibility for consumers and retailers alike.
The PTPA award is exciting because it was bestowed upon us by parents themselves. What more could we ask for?
So THANK YOU NAPPA...THANK YOU PTPA...and most especially, THANK YOU parents. It is for you and your kids that we do what we do, both as pediatricians and as the makers of Baby Silk. We are honored to have become a part of your lives!

Health & Safety Tip: Are you keeping your New Year's Stay-Healthy Resolutions?

Well, we're 22 days in to the New Year and it's awe-inspiring to think how much change we've all been surrounded by of late! With all this excitement, it's sometimes easy to forget the promises we made to ourselves at the top of the year, so we thought we'd check in and see how your progress is going on your New Year's resolutions. We know how difficult it is to keep them, however well-intended they may be. So we're sharing our favorite stay-healthy resolutions that are actually easy to keep (and easy to pick up again any time of year)!

1. "I resolve to use sunsreen on my family every day."
   We know, we know..."But it's January! And we're not at the beach!" Believe it or not, harmful UV rays don't just make their appearance Memorial Day through Labor Day. Exposure to UV rays adds up all year round. The most effective way to prevent skin cancer (aside from staying out of the sun) is to use sunscreen 365 days a year. Our favorite (though we know we're biased) is the Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes SPF 30+. These indispensable sunscreen wipes are so easy to pop in the pocket of your winter coat and have a perfect amount of sunscreen to cover any exposed areas like face, ears & back of the hands -- any time of year.
   
   
2. "I resolve to wash my hands...a lot!"
   In our pediatric practices we are constantly bombarded with nasty germs, yet we rarely get sick. Our most tried & trued stay-healthy secret is surprisingly simple: We wash our hands constantly! Hand washing is the most effective (and easiest) way to prevent the spread of germs that cause colds, the flu, and several gastrointestinal disorders. Help your kids get in the habit early by teaching by example. Make it fun and lather up to a rousing rendition of the ABCs! If you don't have soap and water handy, go ahead and use a great multipurpose alcohol-free wipe or all-natural hand sanitizer.
   
   
3. "I resolve to adhere to the 30-second rule."
   Did you know the most effective way to maintain your and your baby's precious moisture barrier is to smooth on a moisture balm within about 30 seconds of patting dry? We like to call it the "30-second rule", and it's one of our favorite techniques to recommend to parents of children with eczema and dryness. Especially as the temperature continues to drop and winter dryness threatens even normally supple skin, we suggest at least a once-daily dose of moisture balm. A note to parents of children with very dry skin or eczema: One key to successfully treating these conditions is REPEATED application throughout the day.
   
   
4. "I resolve to up the antioxidant ante."
   Antioxidants protect us (and our babies) on the inside and out, aiding in skin repair and strengthening blood vessels. Blueberries are our top "superfood" choice for little ones (they're packed with antioxidants, phytoflavinoids, Vitamin C and potassium!) and a recent British study even showed that an antioxidant-rich Mediterranean diet may even prevent allergic rhinitis and asthma symptoms in youngsters. When it comes to the outside, be sure to look for antioxidants like Vitamin E, Avocado Oil, Grapeseed Extract and Olive Squalane to protect baby's uniquely delicate skin from environment damage.

These resolutions we know we can keep... Now if only somebody would make it easier for us to stop eating chocolate and start jogging!

The Magic Mommy Kiss, and the Baby Silk Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes, Seen Round the World

We’re not going to lie and say that it’s not unbelievably exciting (a dream, really) to wake up to photos of an A-list celebrity toting our products along with her most precious cargo (who, P.S., is definitely one of the most adorable tots in town). When we saw the pics of Jennifer Garner planting a big ‘ol magic mommy kiss on her darling Violet, while holding our Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes, our “awwwwwws” turned to “WOOHOO!”s.

As founders of a company, in a celebrity-obsessed society, we couldn’t dream of a better caught-on-film moment. But as pediatricians, what REALLY excited us was seeing a mom diligent about sun safety…in almost-October!

“What a FABULOUS opportunity” we exclaimed, “to remind everyone that the sun’s harmful UV rays don’t take a vacation just because you came back from yours!”

So, here are a few tips and reminders to help us keep our kids protected, 365 days a year.

• Just because it’s cool outside doesn’t mean UV rays aren’t present and harmful. The temperature may have dropped by a few degrees, but UV rays are still present! Sunscreen is just as much of a post-labor day must-have as it is in the Spring and Summer
• Pack a lunch, pack a sunscreen single. Typically, daycares and schools don’t provide sunscreen for their students, yet kids spend considerable time outdoors (even in the winter). Recess, playtime, lunchtime, or school sports are all opportunities for UV exposure and an important time for sunscreen application.
• Don’t forget about afterschool sports. Whether it’s big brother or sister on the field, or baby cheering them on from the stands, even that hour or two a couple times a week adds up to a significant amount of time exposed to UV rays. If you’ve applied sunscreen to your child before school, don’t forget to reapply prior to heading out to practice.
• Baby it's cold outside! UV rays can be reflected off snow and other surfaces, so don’t forget to protect exposed areas with a broad spectrum sunscreen during winter sports or while perfecting your snow angel skills.

Dr. JJ's Diary of a Doc: 8/10/08

It seems as though age is catching up with me – between my daily work in my pediatric practice, getting my son ready for his departure to the University of Michigan next week (Go Blue!), new construction in my office, and of course, serving as President of MD Moms, one would expect a grey-tinged person such as myself to stifle a few yawns………Believe it or not, I get enough sleep to prevent that from happening……………..UNTIL THIS WEEK!

Every four years my husband and family surrender and hand me over to my television set to live, eat and breathe the Olympic spirit. My issue this year is that the major network televising this marvelous event is broadcasting to the West Coast on tape delay – and you lucky folks on the East Coast get to view the games live! Why does that matter to me? Well, my TIVO broke long ago, I don’t have the necessary cable to watch a live feed, and I struggle to stay awake past my midnite bedtime to see history unfold once again.

After lifting my jaw off the floor (and my box of tear stained tissues) after the mind-bending opening ceremonies, I trudged, half asleep to bed with the knowledge that I would miss the torch being lit. I prided myself on my ability to stay awake, but swore under my breath when my neck hurt this morning from the odd yoga position I found myself in as I drifted off to sleep on my sofa.

I resolved to stay awake last night to see the pride of the University of Michigan, Michael Phelps, win his first gold and look to the stands for his mom, his inspiration. There went another box of tissue! However, with the intricacy of the opening ceremonies setting a high benchmark, do you think that the National Anthem could have been played correctly, and not awkwardly cut off at the end? Perhaps you all respond like I do at these medal ceremonies, silently mouthing the words and welling up in tears feeling the magnitude of the moment………and then our collective joy is cut short as the last stanza just drops off! Come on!

More importantly, I wanted to witness a more significant piece of history unfold – the debut of Dara Torres . She is a symbol of courage, talent, determination (OMG that 12 pack)! She is also a friend of the MD Moms, and her young Tessa wears our Baby Silk Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes daily, while mom works out in Coral Gables. It angers me that the press speculates that her grueling schedule of workouts, and the transformation of her “middle aged” body is the result of doping. She has gone so far as to have her blood stored and frozen for any future analyses, to prove to the world, that greatness can come just with hard work and talent. She has something to prove, and serves as an inspiration to many individuals who feel that age is an impediment to accomplishment – especially in the realm of physical competition.

I never got to see Dara take the podium to win her Silver Medal last night…sleep overtook me and this morning I hope to find a rerun somewhere to recreate that moment….I anticipate that I will be yawning daily at work, quaffing more than my usual 2 coffees daily, and aiming home as soon as patients are out the door, to catch these moments of triumph and persistence, joy and disappointment, pride and pain, as these young (and middle aged) ambassadors of the world make us feel, for just a few days, that the worlds’ people could get along under one roof…..

OK, so enough rambling……….grab a pen, write to NBC, appeal to them to give me some live feed on the West Coast so I can sleep! NOT!

Enjoy the Olympics! ...and GO DARA!

JJ Levenstein, MD, FAAP

President, MD Moms – makers of Baby Silk

Health & Safety Tip: Have Fun in the Sun...Safely!

☼Summer time is for relaxing and having fun in the great outdoors. It’s also time to think about sun safety. The most common type of skin cancer in the US is caused by unprotected sun exposure (specifically UVA and UVB ultraviolet rays) in childhood and adolescence.

☼ Between 60% to 80% of sun exposure happens before we turn 18 years of age. That’s because children spend more time outdoors than most adults, especially in the summer.

☼ The majority of lifetime sun damage occurs before the age of 18, and did you know that just two or three blistering sunburns during childhood can DOUBLE the risk of skin cancer later in life? More than 90% of all skin cancers are caused by the sun, and yet less than 33% of adults, adolescents, and children routinely use sun protection.

☼UVA (the “AGING rays”) cause wrinkling, spotting and skin cancer by penetrating deep into skin. UVB (the “BURNING rays”) sizzle the top layer of skin and contribute to skin cancer risk.

Here are some practical tips to help reduce these risks:

• Avoid direct sun exposure during the peak hours of the day, usually between 10AM to 4PM. Harmful UV radiation is maximal during this interval. Stay in the shade if possible. Reapply sunscreen at 2-4 hour intervals if your child is dry, at 1-2 hour intervals if swimming or wet.

• Dress your child in UV infused clothing (Cabana Life and Wallaroo Hat Company are examples) or use an SPF rinse on tightly woven cotton clothing to raise the SPF value from 5 (regular cotton t-shirt) to spf 30 (we like SunGuard Laundry Aid).

• Your child should wear sunglasses that offer 99-100% blockage from ultraviolet rays (check for ANSI rated UVA & UVB protection). Also, remember a hat with a wide brim that will shade the face and cover the ears.

• Be more diligent about consistent sunscreen use around the water, sand and snow as they all reflect the sun’s rays, increasing the risk of sunburn. (Our Baby Silk Babysafe Sunscreen Towelette Singles are a convenient way to take sun protection on the go...no matter the locale or temperature!)

• The American Academy of Pediatrics and the American Academy of Dermatology recommend that, if avoidance of sun exposure is not possible, babies - no matter how young - should be protected with a sunscreen that has at least a SPF15 and offers both UVA and UVB protection (broad spectrum.) In addition, due to the sensitivity of young children’s skin, the ideal sunscreen should be one containing Zinc Oxide and Titanium Dioxide (pure physical block ingredients). These two ingredients offer the safest protection with the least potential for skin irritation. Unlike a chemical block, which needs minimum 20 minutes absorption time to be fully effective, a physical block will work immediately upon application, as the sun’s rays are reflected from the barrier on top of the skin.

• Use enough sunscreen for effective protection. One ounce (the size of a shot glass) is recommended per application. If a chemical sunscreen is used, apply it to your child’s face and body, wait 20 minutes and re-apply (so that any missed spots are covered, and areas that wear against clothing or sweat get double coverage). Reapply at 1-2 hour intervals if swimming or wet, and at 2-4 hour intervals all through the day. (Our Baby Silk Babysafe Sunscreen Towelettes have a premeasured dose of sunscreen to adequately cover the average 2-year old from head-to-toe.)

• Always patch test any new topical product on a small area of skin on the extremities or trunk. Wash off or discontinue use if redness, itching or irritation occurs. Discard sunscreen that has passed its expiration date. A good rule of thumb is that, if it is more than 2 seasons old, it has lost its potency.

"Safe sun" doesn't have to be a contradiction in terms. Know your sun facts, be prepared ( a little Girl Scout motto that has stuck with us!), and HAVE FUN! Happy Summer!