Think Design Magazine Jan 2013 CRAFTED LIVING SPACES
Oriental Living is a contemporary Asian furniture gallery featuring exclusive award-winning brands
with an extensive range of handcrafted furniture and home decor objects.
SAMUI 9/18 Moo1 Maenam, Koh Samui 84330, Thailand T +66 (0) 77 247 675 E [email protected]
PHUKET 424 Srisoonthorn Road Cherngtalay, Phuket 83110, Thailand T +66 (0) 76 325 419 E [email protected]
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S C I E N C E . O F. TA N N I N G
6 major skin types and this is not reflected in SPF at all. Also, the
intensity of the sun varies obviously from place to place so SPF
can be useless at times.
¬The skin is one of the most amazing organs in the human
body and the only organ that has to deal with the real world so
it is loaded with sensors. It also has a very tough layered design
so that it can handle realities of the environment like abrasion
and sunlight. One type of skin cell is called a melanocyte which
produces melanin, the pigment that is the source of tanning.
When the skin becomes tanned on exposure to sunlight, the
melanocytes do not increase in number, only in activity. When
you get a tan, the melanocytes are producing melanin pigment in reaction to ultraviolet light. Ultraviolet light stimulates
melanin production. The pigment absorbs UV radiation thereby
protecting the cells from UV damageUVA and visible rays
produce immediate pigmentation ( Meirowsky effect ) which is
only very slightly protective. High quality melanin starts being
produced within 48 hours of sun exposure. This understanding
is vital to a healthy tan Most people come to places like Thailand in part for the sun, the weather and the ability to enjoy the
warm sun on their skin. While most resorts warn them of the
dangers of the water, damaging the reefs, pickpockets, etc. the
sun gets no mention although in many places, sunburn is the
number one reason for tourists ending up in the hospital. Today
in Phuket, we discovered a company that does something we
have never heard of before, educate people about the sun and
identify their sun potential and ability to get results during sun
exposure. Sun Spa Esthederm is a service provider in several
upscale resorts offering tailored sun care and tanning programs
for tourists during their holidays in the tropics.
They couple their services with the best products available,
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WORDS: MICHAEL EARLE
Recently in Phuket, I headed down to Surin Beach for lunch. While
there, in between conversation, I gazed out towards the beach where
a light skinned couple frolicked between waves and sand. The woman
was very pale yet seemed impervious to the sun while her partner was
turning a skin color that resembled the shade of a cooked lobster. Why
are we so misconceived about tanning and the sun? It made me wonder,
what is SPF exactly? >
We all use sunscreen to block
ultraviolet light from damaging the skin. There are two
categories of UV light at
ground level, UVA and UVB.
UVB causes sunburn, and UVA
has more long-term damaging effects on the skin, like
premature aging and irregular
pigmentation. SPF, or sun protection factor, numbers were
introduced in 1962 to measure
a sunscreen's effect against
UVB rays. To determine a
sunscreen's SPF, testers round
up 20 sun-sensitive people
and measure the amount of
UV rays it takes them to burn
without sunscreen and then
with sunscreen. For example,
if you burn after 10 minutes
of sun exposure, an SPF of
15 will allow you to be in the
sun for up to 150 minutes
without burning. As you can
see, it’s not the most scientific
standard as each person’s
skin is different equation and
is fraught with inconsistencies. In the lab, they apply 1
millimeter of cream uniformly
but on the beach, you probably apply less, then get in
the water or sweat it off. In
the real world, the average
sun worshipper uses half the
amount of sunscreen used in
the laboratory. Also, there are
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THINK DESIGN JANUARY 2013
those of Institut Esthederm, the only brand
that has gone behond SPF, as they has come
to understand that SPF does not measure
adequately the unique conditions faced by
holiday makers in tropical places like Thailand.
Esthederm products do not have any SPF indications because they are formulated to provide deep cellular protection and each cream
is for a specific skin photo type (skin reaction
to sun light) & specific sun intensity.
For those wishing to tan very quickly, for example, Sun Spa Esthederm offers a tan booster
treatment that allows the skin to get a deep
safe tan in a very short time. The tan you get in
2 hours you can get in just 20 minutes of sun
exposure.Their full day program includes the
services of a professional therapist who will
start by preparing the skin for the sun with
specific Esthederm skin cares. After that, she
will apply and reapply the appropriate sun
protection every hour or two and after swimming according to the skin photo type and
desired results. At the end of the day, guests
will enjoy the after sun treatment to sooth
their skins and prolong the tan. For instance,
those who burn all the time and rarely tan, can
enjoy a program that will allow their skins to
become more tolerant, even under extreme
sun conditions, and to develop a tan. The
program includes the use of a solar serum , the
only one in its kind, that will boost the skin’s
natural self defence system (anti-inflammatory
to reduce sunburn, anti free radical to inhibit
photo induced aging and DNA protection to
minimize sun related skin damage) and will
reinvigorate the tanning results.
It’s is a pretty interesting and luxurious way to
spend the day under the sun.
If you like to know more about Sun Spa Esthederm services, products and locations, visit
www.sunspa-esthederm.com