Good Morning Gentle Readers,
TWC is a sunshine guy and after a lifetime of soaking up the sun, there's evidence that our friend, Mr Sun, has extracted his toll and left something besides smooth, unblemished skin in return. Or, maybe it's just those horrid age spots, or plain old aging. A few years ago, the sun damage first showed up on my feet. Scrub them up in the shower and they didn't look clean. Then, duh, that isn't dirt, it's mottled skin.
Could be much worse, though, and maybe it isn't worse because of the wine. Among its many health benefits, red wine contains flavonoids, which have anti-inflammatory and anti-oxidant properties. Flavonoids act to block cancer causing UV rays, premature aging, and sunburn.
Researchers at The University of Barcelona studied the chemical reaction in the skin when exposed to UV rays. The conclusion was that flavonoids in grapes can stop the chemical reaction that causes cell damage. The study can be found in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry.
Back when the first days of summer seemed like Bleach Beach followed by a week or two of Lobster City, Prevention Magazine taught us how to make sunscreen from paraminobenzoic acid. Later, somewhat inexplicably, the drug store kept the Pre-Sun behind the counter. You'da thought it was Sudafed or something.
I'm more careful, don't like sunburn. Sunscreen on my face. Slip on a shirt when the desert sun is intense. Keep the bimini top up. Actually, we're all more careful now. We've come a long way from the days when sweet young girls smeared on a concocted potion of iodine and baby oil and fried themselves at Huntington State Beach.
Now, if you'll excuse moi, I'm off to soak up the sun.
Said this before, but it still makes me laugh. For the longest time The House Blond wondered why Sheryl had her .45 on, so she could rock on. At the beach.
Daddy, why does she bring her gun to the beach?
Sweetie, that's Banana Boat.
Not Sam Colt.
Hey, Life is Good? Eh?
Live well.
More on wine as sunscreen here.
As Ever,
TWC
Photo Credit (unless otherwise noted): ©TWC, all rights reserved
