If you’ve been part of our Eco Family for a while, you will probably know that I was inspired to start this journey after my sister was diagnosed with melanoma in 2010. Watching her go through this terrifying experience made me realise how serious this disease is, and since then I have been a huge advocate for sun-safety. Melanoma is one of the most commonly diagnosed cancers in Australia, but you can minimise your risk if you take the right precautions.

If there’s one thing I can drill into the minds of our beautiful customers, it’s this; protect your skin and get it checked regularly! Here’s what I want you to do to protect yourself from skin cancer:

Make a yearly date at the skin clinic

The best thing you can do for your skin is get it checked at least once a year. When caught early, melanoma can be removed without any other health complications. But this is only possible if you’re prioritising getting your skin checked – and that means putting it in your diary. Seriously – I want to see you scheduling it between lunch with friends and taking the kids to football practice. This goes for your little ones, too. Even children are at risk of melanoma, so start their skin checks early and show them just how important it is! The last thing you want is to be one of those people who wishes they had done it sooner.

Follow a skin check page on social media

If you’re reading this thinking, “this won’t happen to me,” I want you to open your socials and search for a skin check page. I personally follow @getaskincheck on Instagram and The Melanoma Man on Facebook and I can promise that after reading just a few of the stories on there, you will be moved. More than 16,000 Australians – men, women and even children – will be diagnosed with melanoma in 2020. Awareness is everything and these accounts are doing huge things for showing the real and shocking effects of melanoma.

Be safe when you’re in the sun

You don’t have to give up your weekends at the beach or your morning walks in order to be sun smart. You just need to be prepared! When you plan to spend some time in the sun, make sure you take a hat, a pair of sunglasses, a shirt to help you cover up and – of course – some broad-spectrum SPF sunscreen! This way, you can enjoy the sunshine without worrying about what it’s doing to your skin.

Fall in love with sun-less tanning

Don’t wait until it’s too late to make the switch to fake tan. The truth is, a tan is simply your skin cells in trauma – and as good as it might look in the moment, it’s not worth the risk. A fake tan will look just as beautiful and won’t put your health in danger, just ask any of our amazing Eco Tan customers! Once you’ve tried the fake tan life, you’ll never want to go back to burning your skin in the sun!