Our skin is a pH level of around 5.0, which is close to neutral. A bar soap has a higher pH around 8-10.0. You must not forget that washing soap is a detergent, meant to remove dirt and grease from your skin. Haven’t you noticed that your hands tend to be dry after using a bar soap?

Washing your face with a bar soap will destroy your skin. It will dry it out, drain all the oil, and suck out all the moisture. You might feel refreshed and rejuvenated at first, thinking that your skin feels nice and dry (not oily like it usually is). But think again. With less oil (sebum) on your skin, your skin becomes thinner, dry, and dehydrated, which in turn will produce fine lines, otherwise known as wrinkles. Gradually, if you continue to use bar soap, your wrinkles will mature and cannot be treated.

Your face is more delicate than the rest of your body and deserves quality nurturing and treatment. Don’t make the mistake of lazing for bar soap when it could highly damage your face’s skin in the long run. Please consider an appropriate face wash that best suits you.

The National Weather Service (NWS) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) developed the Ultraviolet (UV) Index in 1994. The UV Index is a useful tool to help the public take steps towards reducing UV radiation exposure, since skin cancer and other skin diseases have increased significantly in the US since 1975.

The UV Index tells us the level of UV exposure expected on a given day. The categories are: low, moderate, high, very high, and extreme with corresponding index numbers 1-2, 3-5, 6-7, 8-10, 11+. The UV Index reminds people to protect themselves when engaging in outdoor activities.

The EPA encourages consumers to practice the following sun protection steps:

• Check the UV Index for the UV forecast.
• Limit exposure during midday hours.
• Seek shade.
• Wear clothing made from tightly woven fabrics. UV rays can pass through holes and spaces in loosely knit fabric. Long-sleeved shirts and pants are recommended.
• Wear a hat with a wide brim that protects the eyes, face, and neck.
• Wear sunglasses that provide 100% UV protection.
• Use broad spectrum sunscreens with at least Sun Protection Factor (SPF) 15 and reapply regularly. Remember to apply sunscreen on any part of the skin that is exposed to the sun, such as the nose, the back of the neck, and the rims of the ears. Use lip balms or creams containing sunscreen.

Here’s the chart straight from the EPA:

New EPA UV Index Guidelines

So, you might be wondering how is the Index calculated?

In a nutshell, it begins with forecasting the total ozone amount by using NWS models. Then, the sun angle for that specific day is determined. Next, a radiation model determines different UV radiation wavelengths, which are then weighed into human skin. Lastly, outside factors such as location, sea level and cloud conditions are measured and adjusted to the index.

The UV Index is a great tool to educate yourself on how intense each day’s sun exposure will be. The sun can be extremely harmful, as most of us know, causing anything from wrinkles, to eye damage, to skin cancer. It’s great to have this kind of knowledge in order to prevent these things from happening to you.

Strawberry Mark

A Hemangioma is a bright red raised area that can occur anywhere in the skin.   It might be barely noticeable at birth and then grow to an inch or several inches across during a child’s first months.  Because a hemangioma brings a blood supply to the surface of the skin, they may bleed easily if bumped or scratched.

Often when the child is 6 to 12 months old, the redness will fade to gray and the mark will flatten and fade in a process know as involution.  In some cases the skin might break down and erode during involution.   Strawberry marks often disappear by the time the child is 5 years old.  Strawberry marks on the scalp are often hidden by hair and require no treatment.  A hemangioma near an eye or on the face is often treated more aggressively.  Read more about Hemangiomas and Strawberry Marks here.

There are two main types of hemangiomas:

• Strawberry hemangiomas (strawberry mark, nevus vascularis, capillary hemangioma, hemangioma simplex) may develop several weeks after birth.
• Cavernous hemangiomas (angioma cavernosum, cavernoma) are similar to strawberry hemangiomas but they are deeper.

Port Wine Stains

A port wine stain is a hemangioma of dilated capilaries, and generally presents as a large red or purplish spot that occurs on the arm, leg or face.   It is sometimes raised and generally persists throughout adulthood.  Some port wine stains are associated with Sturge-Weber syndrome, so check with your pediatrician.    Port Wine stains often respond well to laser treatment which can soften the discoloration and provide cosmetic benefits.

Mongolian Spots

Mongolian spots are flat marks of various sizes that are present at birth and resemble bruises on the lower back or buttocks.  The spots are bluish greay to bluish green.

Cafe au lait spots

Cafe au lait spots are flat, irregularly shaped small tan or brown areas present on the skin at birth.

Capillary Marks

Capillary marks are small pinkish brown or pink spots present at birth that gradually fade away before a child is 18 months old.