This advertisement from the 1950’s was well-known in the United States.

The allure of getting bronzed, the feeling of warmth and comfort lounging in the sand or pool side, vacationing in a resort hotel or near a lakeside villa are concepts that have been pushed and promoted by the travel industry for decades.

And water always seems to be the common element.

Whether it is a deep royal blue of a freshwater lake or the tropical light greens of the Caribbean Sea or the baby blues of your favorite vacation spot, water is central to many vacation packages and holiday tours.

But while absorbing the sun rays and deep tan lines were formerly seen as a benefit of vacationing, now sunscreens and cover-ups are the name of the game. And the pharmaceutical, medical and health product industry have stepped up their product development. Sunscreens have developed from deep tanning oils of the 1950’s to protective skincare products with high SPF factors and biodegradable sunscreens to protect the world’s fragile coral reefs.

With more and more attention being paid to not harming our marine environment, more biodegradable sunscreen products are being developed and marketed. A biodegradable sunblock is environmentally friendly sunscreen that lacks the harmful ingredients that are destroying the world’s coral reefs. These sunscreens break down naturally in the environment and cause minimal damage to the life below the surface of the ocean.

It is estimated that every year between 4,000 and 6,000 tons of sunscreen washes off of tourists during their vacations. The standard types of sunscreen contain chemicals and oils that are harmful to the marine ecosystem, particularly coral reefs. Fortunately, the use and long-term benefits of biodegradable sunscreen is starting to be understood and supported by the swimming community and tourism industry.

Products like Elemental Herbs protects the skin with no negative impact on the environment. The new sunscreen formula with zinc oxide includes organic green tea and rose hip antioxidants with organic jojoba and extra virgin olive moisturizing oils that is safe for coral reefs.

Another example of product development is Exposure Scientific‘s innovative skincare products that are formulated to permit the body to synthesize vitamin D while blocking harmful, unwanted rays of light. Their skincare products include sunscreens, daily-use moisturizers, lotions and other products with SPF factors.

Vitamin D is made in large quantities by the human body when certain wavelengths light penetrate the skin. Traditional sunscreens and products with SPF factors, however, have been shown in studies to seriously impair the cutaneous production of vitamin D.

Problem Number 1: An alarmingly high percentage of people in Australia, Canada, European Union, Japan, New Zealand and the United States suffer from vitamin D deficiency or insufficiency.

The problem is a result of living indoors, behind glass and wearing long clothing. Before buildings and an indoor lifestyle became commonplace, humans got the vast majority of their vitamin D by exposure to sunshine. To compound matters the only chance many working people and students get to make vitamin D in their skin is during their outdoor weekend activities – but this is just the time when they impair their skin’s ability to make vitamin D by coating it with traditional sunscreens and products with SPF factors.

Problem Number 2: Dermatologists often warn of the danger of harmful rays of light penetrating the skin, with wrinkles, photo-aging and skin cancers resulting from excessive exposure.

The solution: Reduce the harmful rays of the sun, but allow the body to synthesize the vitamin D with Exposure Scientific’s RadianD.

“Some people believe they look healthier with a tan,” Robert Kirsner, MD, chief of dermatology, University of Miami Hospital. “Ideally, I’d jump straight to telling patients—especially those who are at high risk for skin cancer—that they should avoid sun exposure as much as possible. But the fact is, many patients would ignore that advice. Behavioral adjustments take time. So I’ll start by encouraging them to at least avoid the sun during peak hours, for example. Getting the full message across may take years, but it’s so important: No one is immune to skin cancer. One in five Americans will develop the disease in their lifetime.”

Whatever sunscreen products that you use on your vacation tours and during your open water swims, be safe and be responsible.

Copyright © 2012 by Open Water Source