The Not-So Sweet Truth about Sugar

I have an Australian friend who visited regularly while I was in graduate school. She is from Melbourne (pronounced "Mel-bn" to natives) so cities like Philadelphia weren't super exciting.

"Our clubs stay open until 4 am," she would say as bouncers ushered us out of Philly dance clubs at 2 in the morning.

What did surprise her, however, was our bread.

"It's sweet!" she'd say.

Having grown up on PB&J, it's difficult for the average American to detect a difference in our most beloved store-bought carbohydrate.  But it's a fact: packaged American breads often taste more like pound cake than something you'd pair with roast beef. This is because manufactures add sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup. It's sweet subversion!

Why is it a problem? Sugar in small quantities won't hurt you; reserve it primarily for a tiny post-dinner dessert; the issue is that the sweet stuff has infiltrated almost all of our processed foods, from "juices" to breakfast cereals. While we all know that sugar is bad news for a trim waistline, it is also a villain to clear skin.

First, it induces inflammation by causing changes in blood sugar levels. Inflammation in the skin results in redness and irritation. But the wavering blood sugar levels are problematic in and of themselves. When you eat a large amount of sugar, it stays in your bloodstream temporarily, but your body soon releases insulin. This pushes the sugar into your cells, leaving little in you bloodstream, which can make you feel dizzy—and stressed! We all know that stress is a known contributor to breakouts!

Sugar can also cause premature aging through a process called glycation. When sugar molecules in your blood attach to protein, they form dangerous new molecules called "AGEs." These guys damage the healthy molecules around them, especially collagen, which is responsible for youthful, tight skin.

What's the solution? Well, if moving across the world to escape the sugar epidemic isn't realistic, try incorporating more whole foods--fruits, veggies, and proteins--into your diet. Make your sugar really count--like in rich, Belgian chocolate rather than a liter of cavity-inducing orange soda!

The Sun-Care Lexicon

Maybe you're prepping for your SATs or cramming as many GRE words into your brain as cognitively possible. Whatever the occasion--whether a freshman-year pop-quiz or a college literature exam--a good vocabulary never goes out of style. But there are some vocabulary lists that don't get the attention they deserve. Today, we're going to take a look at some important words in the sun care lexicon.

SPF: This acronym stands for "sun protection factor" and conveys how well a sunscreen protects your skin from solar radiation. (In reality, it is the ratio between how much radiation it would take to burn unprotected skin versus how much radiation it would take to burn screened skin.)

Photostable: Many sunscreens on the market tout this label; it just means that they won't degrade when left in the sunlight, which is lucky. What good is a sunscreen that decomposes at the beach?

Nanoparticles: Sure, they sound like something out of a Marvel superhero movie, but these little guys actually exist. In order to earn the "nano" prefix, the particles must be less than 100 nanometers in diameter, which makes them common ingredients in physical sunscreens. The tiny particles allow the zinc oxide to dry clear, rather than white.

Anti-oxidants: These powerhouses neutralize damage caused by free-radicals. Combined with a good sunscreen, they'll keep you safe all summer long.

Melanoma: This is the most dangerous kind of skin cancer and the number one cause of skin-related deaths each year. How to avoid it? Use sunscreen whenever outside and reapply it every two hours. Also, do what you already know: avoid tanning salons!

My Benzoyl Peroxide Dilemma

I've been a GR8/SKN user and fan for over a year. My favorite product in the line? Clean, because I strongly believe that healthy skin begins with a good cleanser—one that maintains the pH of my skin and keeps my epidermis working like the defensive linebacker that it is.

But I admit it: sometimes I slip up. This June, I left my apartment in Pennsylvania to vacation with my mom and sister in Virginia. I packed meticulously—or so I thought. Toothbrush? Check. Seven pairs of underwear? Check. GR8/SKN products? Nope, and boy, did I regret that oversight.

The trip started out roughly. My skin had more blemishes than a pre-pubescent teenager; so much for being out-of-the-woods in my mid-twenties. I was panicking, because I had no means to battle the ever-increasing vanguard of zits cropping up along my hairline. I didn't want to reach for one of those questionable DIY remedies like toothpaste or baking soda. I opted for something FDA-approved: my mom's clinical-looking "Acne Cream" sitting in a basket next to her sink.

I should have known better from the packaging design alone. The tube was red and white with ugly, block typography. But the sub-title was the real hazard sign: "High Dose Benzoyl Peroxide."

GR8/SKN products avoid this often-used ingredient due to its potential to dry out and irritate your skin; I haven't touched the stuff since making the GR8/SKN leap in 2014.

It's an understatement to say that my poor epidermis didn't react well. When I woke up the following morning, I didn't look like I was going through puberty anymore; now I looked like a molting reptile. My skin was peeling like a lizard's around my temples.

Needless to say, I chucked that little tube back in the vanity drawer and resolved to tough out the rest of the week without  topical help.

When I got back to my apartment my first priority was skin relief. I opened my vanity cabinet, and my GR8/SKN products were practically glowing with divine light. I might work for GR8/SKN, but my allegiance to the products is wholly personal—and this BPO disaster story only cemented that opinion.

Post-Sunburn Remorse: The Solution

We all have regrets. Maybe it's the half dozen donuts you downed on your coffee break. Perhaps it's choosing to major in English literature your freshman year in college instead of going into the business school like everyone else. Or maybe it's forgetting to put sunscreen on your shoulders before going body surfing at the Jersey shore. While I don't have much advice about fried, circular confections or about majoring in the Humanities, I can give you some tips on what to do if you find yourself in dreaded post-sunburn agony.

Hydrate: This one is simple. Got a sunburn? Guzzle some water. The burn pulls water from your core to the surface of your skin; you'll want to replenish your internal reservoir. Try to avoid dehydrating drinks like soda, coffee, and alcohol. Stick with water and flavor it with lemon or cucumber instead.

Moisturize: Trap whatever water you can by applying a high quality moisturizer. Hydrate is not so much a moisturizer as it is a dermatological superfood. Nevertheless, rich with vitamins, it delivers all of the nourishment your skin needs after a bad baking session. Get it here!

Take Cover: This one might be a little tricky—especially if you're vacationing in the Bahamas—but once you're burned, try to stay out of direct sunlight. Rent or buy a big beach umbrella, don a wide-brimmed hat, and hug the shade!

GR8/SKN has also developed a topical solution for your sunburn woes: The Post-Sunburn Mocktail. This trifecta of sunburn relief includes Clean, Hydrate, and Reset. Use it at night after a day at the beach, a steamy tournament, or an extra sunny hiking adventure.

Our Thirsty Planet

A size comparison of the Aral Sea

CNN is talking about it. National Geographic is talking about it. We figured we needed to start talking about it. Here at GR8/SKN, we try to be environmentally-friendly. We work out of a small office whose carbon footprint is smaller than a mouse's pawprint. Our packaging is "post-consumer," which means that the materials have already been used in one way or another; it's a kind of recycling. But there is a bigger environmental concern currently facing our planet, and, unless you have a 10-foot diameter garden hose and an endless supply of water, the solution to the problem is  not immediately clear. Sure, it's great to grab your canvas bag before heading food-shopping or to bring your own mug for a fill-up at Starbucks, but some climate consequences currently facing us won't be stopped with  reusable containers alone.

NASA has recently warned that the American Southwest and Great Plains regions are in for "mega" droughts within the next century. It doesn't take a fortune-teller to see that this is on the horizon. Water levels in Utah's Lake Powell, one of the country's largest reservoirs, are the lowest they have been in years. Nevada's Lake Mead is suffering a similar fate. Engineers have constructed a subterranean tunnel to maintain the reservoir's connection to its source, the Colorado River.

Water shortages aren't restricted to North America either. The Aral Sea of central Asia, once the world's fourth largest lake, is rapidly shrinking. It's eastern section has completely dried up--for the first time in 600 years. The cause? Most scientists are pointing to decreasing levels in under-ground water tables—thanks to increased drilling practices.

What's being done, you ask? Engineers from around the world are formulating solutions. And for those of us who don't have PhDs in geophysics, try turning off the faucet when brushing your teeth--like Mom told you to do when you were five. Hey, it's a start!