Saturday, September 15, 2007

Sun-Haters

I’m reading this fascinating book entitled Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Big Changes by Mark J. Penn. I recognized some of the new microtrends such as the surging population of single people, Cougars (older women dating younger men), Commuter Couples, Internet Marrieds, Working Retired, Extreme Commuters (my facialist on the Big Island of Hawaii commutes 90 minutes each way to work), Stay-at-Home Workers, Interracial Families, etc. The microtrend that really took me by surprise was the Sun-Haters. When we vacationed in Hawaii earlier this month, I wore 50 SPF sunscreen every single day because I’m extremely protective when it comes to my skin. As a result, I came back from Hawaii with nary a tan. Of course, everyone’s skin looks nicer with a little tan, but I don’t want to develop more wrinkles in my skin and I don’t want to run the risk of developing skin cancer. Skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States today, with more than a million new cases diagnosed each year. The mortality rate from skin cancer has increased 50% since the 1970s. Between 1980 and 1987, the number of melanomas (the really dangerous skin cancer) increased 83%. Skin cancer in teenagers, unheard of a generation ago, is on the rise. At least 25% of skin damage occurs before a person is 18 years old.

As a result, there is a brand new industry to sun-safe clothing, which means long-sleeved shirts and pants that are woven more tightly than regular clothes. A white T-shirt provides an ultraviolet protection factor or UPF of only 5. Some of the clothes are fortified with the products in sunscreen, or chemicals like titanium dioxide, which deflect the sun’s rays. Sun-protective clothing now does about $180 million worth of business per year. Now, there’s a product called Sun-Guard, a laundry aid that washes sun protection right into clothes, boosting their UPF level from about 5 to 30. The majority of foundations and skin creams contain UPF or SPF of at least 15.

Source: Microtrends: The Small Forces Behind Tomorrow’s Big Changes by Mark J. Penn with E. Kinney Zalesne