Aspen Peak - Niche Media - Aspen living at its peak
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YOU, EVEN BETTER under the aspen sun OUR WEATHER CAN POSE A SKINCARE CHALLENGE, BUT THERE ARE MANY WAYS TO T PROTECT THE SKIN YOU'RE IN. by vishaka robinson hanks to its mountainous, 8,000-foot ele- vation, Aspen is famous for crisp air and vertiginous views. But these attributes go hand-in-hand with punishing conditions your skin. Experts estimate that for every 1,000 feet for in elevation, UV radiation increases by about four percent; this means Aspenites are basking in sunshine that stronger than in LA. is some 30 percent "The sun is so strong here I've seen people burn in as little as 15 minutes," says beauty expert Lily Garfield, who founded Cos Bar and cocreated the recently launched Cos Bar at Target collection. "At our Aspen store, we don't even stock sun-care products with an SPF of below 30. And we always ask customers to show us how they apply them. Ninety-nine percent of the time they're applying it the wrong way; they rub it on. We show them the right way—to layer it onto skin, like spreading butter on bread." Our confusion over how to use sunscreens might explain why, although sales are on the up (and due to reach $1 billion a year by 2016), inci- dences of skin cancer continue to rise; the American Cancer Society estimates there will be an extra 76,250 cases of melanoma in 2012. 102 aspenpeak-magazine.com According to Joel Cohen, a dermatologist trained in Mohs surgery, skin cancer is a more serious issue in Aspen than elsewhere. "As a whole, Colorado averages a significantly higher rate of skin cancer than the US average," says Cohen. "Why? A trio of factors: the high altitude in many areas; our outdoorsy culture—people biking, hiking, and golfing; and the weather. We average 300 days of sunshine a year." Dermatologist Stephen Eubanks, who has the past 20 years practicing in Aspen, Basalt, and Denver, estimates that 70 percent of his patients have sun-related problems. "I've seen basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas in Colorado in people in their late twenties and melanoma in even younger patients," he says. So how can we protect ourselves? Thankfully, the process of pinpointing the right protection is spent getting simpler in 2012, as the much-debated FDA rethink of sun-care labeling takes effect. Key changes include: no more SPFs above 50 (the increased protection gleaned from SPFs of more than 50 has been found to be negligible); a ban on the words "sun block" and "waterproof" (the FDA found that no sun cream can block out all UV, just as no SPF is totally waterproof); and only allowing products with an SPF of 15 or higher to label themselves as a sunscreen. Also key is finally giving UVA and UVB rays a more equal weighting. SPF has only ever been a measure of UVB rays (which cause sunburn and skin cancer) but not UVA rays (which pene- trate deeper into the skin and trigger premature aging and sun spots, as well as skin cancers). Now the FDA has stipulated that if a product continued on page 104 photography by belle sotto. styling by rebecca malinsky. silk duchess top with velour au sabre embroidery ($3,325) and knickers ($552.50), Rochas. rochas.com. reflective double-strap sandals, chRistopheR Kane ($672). special order, NeimaN marcus, cherry creek shoppiNg ceNter, deNver, 303-329-2600; NeimaNmarcus.com