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National Geographic : 2002 Nov
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leisure time, and fashion trendsetter Coco Chanel announced in 1929 that a "girl must be tanned." By June 2000, with increased health warn ings and rising melanoma rates, an article published in Women's Wear Daily insisted on the use of sunscreen because "It will be a cold day in hell before there's a shortage of bodies sun tanning on the beach, and this summer, a sun-roasted hide is more fashion able than ever." T o LOOK TAN might be a fashion necessity, but to look young is just as desirable in many circles (even though the tan ning process accelerates the aging of the skin). The fight against aging skin appears, when I look around the magazine stands in the supermarket, to have taken on the proportions of a war. As we age, the skin loses its ability to retain moisture; the dermis loses its elasticity and its collagen stretches; and lines and wrinkles from laughter and other habitual facial expres sions deepen. To counter these effects, consumers world wide spend several billion dollars a year on skin care products, not including cosmetics or services like facials. Most is spent by women, but marketers now target men, as well as girls as young as eight, encouraging them to try to prevent or diminish signs of aging. "Skin prod ucts can give everyone more confidence," one company executive explains. My wife smiles when I start to bring home magazines filled with suggestions for various products and regimens: "Get Your Best Skin" and "Your Ideal Skin. See it. Feel it. Have it." I soon realize the cause for her amuse ment. They all basically say the same thing and have for years. To fight wrinkles, hydrate your skin. Wash well but not with harsh cleansers. Use absorbable antioxidants, such as vitamins A, C, and E, which may counteract
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