Women's Skincare - Taking care of your skin in the sun and snow

GREED. More doesn't always mean better. Sun Protection Factor (SPF) measures the length of time a product protects against skin reddening, compared to how long the skin takes to redden without protection. So if you burn after 20 minutes in the sun without sunscreen, a sunscreen with an SPF 15 will protect you 15 times longer - or for about five hours. SPF protection does not increase proportionately - a sunscreen with 30 SPF blocks 97 percent of the damaging UVA and UVB rays from the sun, while SPF 15 blocks 93 percent.

The FDA has proposed a new system (August 2007) where sun screen lotions would be rated on how well they protect skin against UVA and UVB radiation.The UVA ratings have not been offered in the past and this light penetrates deeper into the skin. Some tanning products provide no UVA protection and it has been proposed that ratings will now address this issue. SPF 50 would also be recognized now and a warning about the risk of skin cancer may be required to be on all sunscreen lotions.

GLUTTONY. Don't be a glutton for punishment, stay out of the sun between the hours of 10 and 2. The rays of the sun are strongest at this time of day, increasing the risk of sun damage to your skin.

LUST. Forget about asking your significant other to rub that lotion on you on the trails. Apply that first ounce of sunscreen 30 minutes before going outdoors, to allow it to bond to your skin. For one overall application of sunscreen you should use one ounce - about the amount that would fill a shot glass.

SLOTH. Getting lazy will get you burned. Sunscreens need to be reapplied every two to four hours. Be diligent. Even better, choose sunblock, which uses zinc oxide or titantium dioxide so the UV rays bounce off rather than get absorbed.

ENVY. So your best friend came back from Tahoe with an amazing tan. She may look healthy now, but there is no known safe way to tan. Tanning is a form of "skin injury" that occurs when UV rays enter the skin and the derma layer produces more melanin to protect itself. And it leads to all sorts of nasty effects of premature aging, like wrinkles and sun spots.

PRIDE. Don't be proud of that goggle tan. Snow reflects up to 80 percent of the sun's rays, causing major sunburn damage to uncovered skin. That goes for water and ice, too. Added to the already increased exposure is the increased risk at altitude. Winter sports in the mountains increase the risk of sunburn because there is less atmosphere at high altitudes to block the sun's rays.

WRATH. Okay, get angry because skin cancer statistics are alarming. Skin cancer is the most commonly occurring cancer in the United States. Not only is skin cancer deadly, most are horribly disfiguring. Skin cancer accounts for 1 percent of all cancer deaths and 90 percent of all skin cancers can be attributed to the sun.

Facts and figures taken from skincancer.org, sunsafety.org and the American Academy of Dermatology (aad.org).

According to Jill Adler in an article in Sports Guide, cleanser should be milky and designed for sensitive skin to provide more hydration. Moisturizer should have vitamin E and C for protection against the environment and make sure it is slightly oily to retain water inside the skin cells longer. Hydrate excessively and slop on the moisturizer every night. Choose vitamin-rich products without alcohol, menthol or acid compounds that absorb your natural oils. Vitamin A helps prevent sun damage, C and E heal wounds and D helps stave off skin damage and signs of aging. Avoid baths and hot tubs because they break down body oils, but if you like baths then add bath oils to the water.

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Nordic Adaptive Sit-Skis Bring Freedom to Mobility Impaired Persons

Patrick Standen cross country skiing on a sit ski

Nordic sit-skiing gives a taste of freedom to a person with mobility limitations to access snow covered trails, fields, and cross country (XC) ski areas that cover the north country. People such as wounded warriors or accident victims, who have mobility impairments can experience the benefits of XC skiing…that is, getting outdoors in the natural environment, feel the confidence associated with physical and mental fitness and wellness, and enjoy the freedom to travel over snow as far as they can go.

Sit-skis are the adaptive equipment for folks in a wheel chair (spinal cord injuries) and for those with leg injuries or amputations. There are different kinds of equipment designs to support a wide variety of users such as people with and without legs, people of different sizes, and so on. Sit-skiers use short poles in the range of 100-130 cm long. Those with one lower leg amputation are encouraged to participate in a standing position, so they might utilize the same equipment as able-bodied participants.

Sit-ski equipment consists of an ultra-light weight plastic or carbon fiber bucket supported by an aluminum alloy frame that clips into a pair of XC skis. The ski poles are shortened to accommodate the seat height and the skier double poles for a cross country ski experience.

So how much work is XC skiing for a mobility impaired person? The skis glide efficiently and the biggest challenge is steep hills. Most sit-skiers start on flat terrain and become accustomed to double poling to propel the equipment forward. Beginner trails at commercial XC ski areas provide optimal terrain for a sit-skier to practice and see if XC skiing is right for him or her. As in any endeavor, practice and repetition helps to develop the muscles and body parts that are needed. But the first time sit-skier should expect to have some arm soreness for a couple of days afterward.

It is a good idea to take a lesson and rent sit-ski equipment at the start to try it and see if XC skiing is something that feels right. There are dozens of different sit-ski designs with regard to attachment to the skis, but there are only a few manufacturers of the equipment. Some sit-ski models clip right on any XC ski with an SNS binding and others bolt permanently and require tools to change skis. You would be able to change skis depending upon snow conditions if you have the clip-on model sit-ski. The length of the ski selected will vary based on the skier's weight and it is good to start beginners on shorter skis for easier maneuverability. A sit-skier wants to minimize the ski base friction and narrower skis are generally faster than wider skis.

There are only a few XC ski areas that have sit-ski equipment to use including Vermont's Rikert Nordic Center in Ripton and Craftsbury Outdoor Center. Other areas with programs in the northeast include Pineland Farms in New Gloucester, Maine and Weston Ski Track in Mass. (both of these areas have snowmaking). Most often an introduction to sit-skiing is through programs. Such organized programs across the country are in Minnesota, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Oregon, and in Sun Valley, Idaho. For a list of program contacts check out http://findaclub.usparalympics.org/ and do an advanced search for winter sports and XC skiing.

 A sit-ski beginner usually has his/her equipment prepared for him/her ahead of time by the instructor. A sit-skier applies downward pressure in order to move forward and wants to get everything lined up to make the movement efficient and take full advantage of their functioning muscles.

 As you might imagine, hills are a challenge for sit-skiers and the key is to avoid steep uphill terrain. Backsliding on gentle terrain is less of an issue although on a steep incline there is always a point of no return. Since your sole source of energy is double-poling and you cannot side step or herring bone, you are at the mercy of physics and at some point you simply cannot climb. Beginning sit-skiers are taught a safety procedure for bailing out on a backwards descent.

 Patrick Standen of the Northeast Disabled Athletic Association commented, "A person could chose whatever ski set up works best for them, their adapted equipment, and the terrain they use. I have some buddies who backcountry in the Sierra Nevada's, who sit-ski up mountains with skins, but they are seasoned skiers." In general, it is recommended that sit-skiers go out with a companion who can help push them up hills.

 "Specifically, the double-poling motion and cadence changes as you approach and begin to climb hills by becoming shorter and more rapid until, if needed, you are "ice-picking" or pulling yourself up one carefully planted pole pull at a time. It can be arduous but it is a total upper body workout and a great cardio pump."

 Nordic skiing offers peace in the wilderness and feeds personal wellness and hopefully more persons with mobility impairments will discover that they can use ski-skis to attain this experience of beauty and tranquility.

Cleaning, Base Refreshing, Base Saturation, & Summer Storage by SkiPost

The winter and snow cover are leaving us, so what do we do with ski equipment?

1) Cleaning: Use wax remover and Fiber wipe to clean the kick zone and also the glide zone.

2) Use the finest Steel or Copper brush to clean excess dirt from base.

3) Apply layer of Start Base (or Service or soft non-fluoro glider like SG2) to glide zones.

4) While wax is still soft use scraper with low pressure to "hot wipe" wax and further dirt away.

5) Follow with Fiber wipe and then finest steel brush again to remove dirt while refreshing base further. Repeat steps 4 and 5 as necessary until no more dirt is seen coming from base.

6) If you suspect your skis have any base damage (i.e. base sealing) consider having the skis stoneground to reveal a fresh base in the spring before summer storage. A fresh base is the most import feature in a skis ability to hold wax and to glide. Ski shops in most every ski town offer great stone grinding services.

7) Once you have a clean and refreshed base it is time to saturate the base with a summer storage wax. In the glide zones melt in a thick layer of Start Base (or Service or soft non-fluoro glider like SG2) and let it cool. If all the wax has been absorbed into the base at any point add another layer on to. Let cool leave it on the ski all summer.

8) Skis should be storage in cool, dry place, out of sunlight and not near heating elements nor not near the roof where temperature can rise over 50C degrees. Skis should be stored loosely strapped with no pressure on camber so that there is no risk that heat and pressure can alter any of the skis camber characteristics.

9) Better to do something than nothing. So at the very, very least crayon your softest glide onto your glide zones right now.

Article contributor Andy Gerlach in Sun Valley, ID knows his stuff –he's with SkiPost and Start Wax at http://www.skipost.com/