Remember too, that your body also ‘breathes’ through the pores of your skin as well as your mouth, nose, and lungs.*
~ Joseph Pilates
As you are aware, breathing is an important principle in Pilates. What is not as commonly known, is that Joseph Pilates also encouraged good skin care (along with nutrition, proper sleep, etc…) In fact, Joe would have students shower after sessions using stiff brushes. This would clean dead skin cells and continue to promote circulation. Since skin is the largest organ, it would make sense that Mr. Pilates promoted caring for it as a part of holistic well-being. If you would like to prevent skin cancer and signs of aging, please read on.
Youthful Appearance
Did you know the #1 cause of wrinkles is sun damage? If you want prevent signs of aging caused by UV rays, then sunscreen daily! This will help you not only look younger but also help protect you from the preventable disease of skin cancer. Look for a “broad-spectrum” sunscreen to block both UVA & UVB rays. It is never too late to start.
Rain or Shine
The UV rays can still reach you on rainy days. So even though it may be cloudy outdoors, please do not be fooled. Continue to wear sunscreen and protective clothing anyway.
Indoor vs. Outdoor
Even if you are indoors, the UV rays shine in through windows. Not to mention the blue light from cell phones, iPads etc can also cause damage.** Unless you live in a cave without any windows and never use a cell phone or iPad, then sunscreen daily is recommended even if you do not plan on spending much time outdoors.
How much SPF is enough?
Go for an SPF 30 at least and up to an SPF 50. While you do want to wear sunscreen, there does not seem to be much evidence to suggest that an SPF 50 or higher offers more protection. So a higher number SPF 100 isn’t necessarily better than SPF 50.
Quantity matters
SPF is dose dependent. In order to get the SPF protection listed on the bottle, you need to put on the same quantity that was used in testing to have the SPF protection labeled on the bottle (generally 1/4 -1/2 teaspoon). So if you use an SPF of 30 and put on a 1/4 teaspoon but a 1/2 teaspoon was used in testing, then you are only getting the benefit of an SPF 15.
Chemical vs. mineral sunscreen
A study a couple of years ago found that the chemicals in chemical sunscreens are absorbed through the skin into the bloodstream. Chemical sunscreens are no longer on the generally recognized as safe and effective or GRASE list from the FDA***, but zinc oxide and titanium dioxide found in mineral sunscreens still made the list. Though more testing needs to be done on chemical sunscreens, it’s something to keep in mind.
Pilates was ahead of his time. Though I don’t think he would have liked the idea of putting something on the skin like sunscreen as he would probably want the skin to “breathe”, but he was also progressive and innovative. Considering the new things science has learned about the environment and skin damage since Pilates’ time, I believe he would have cleverly adapted.
Though skin is out of my scope and you should consult with your dermatologists, I hope sharing this information was helpful and inspires you to care for yourself in every way, including your skin. As you head out for some fun in the sun this summer, hope you are applying sunscreen before soaking up some rays!
*Pilates, Joseph H. and William John Miller. Return to Life Through Contrology. Pilates’ Primer: The Millennium Edition. Presentation Dynamics, republished 1998, p 17.