Not everyone’s favorite topic but one that will come to light (hah!) when you realize that you’ve been exposing your skin to double the rays than the average non-rowing crew member.

We’re REACH, a boutique recruiting and placement firm who, as coaches and rowers have spent our fair share of time on the water. We’ve seen a lot of sun for 20+ years of our college athletics careers from HS to D1. This is an important topic to share to both our students and parents.

Consider this, the sun’s powerful rays are above AND below your face when you’re on the water rowing or coxing. This is why your sun protection and exposure is important to consider when you're at the boathouse. 2k day, practice or a regatta, the top of your hands, your arms, ears, back of neck and that little piece of skin between your nostrils the columella need protection too.

You need an SPF. Mic drop.

You do.

Cancer, wrinkles, aging and more often for the ladies, melasma. REACH founder Fran Berlin has been known to put on sunscreen at 4pm as she launched her Hoosier rowers. Fran was protecting herself from "moonburn” because: UV rays, all day every day. What’s more? The sweat is real. Athletes inadvertently lose a lot of sunscreen due to sweating and hot conditions where they wipe it off.

One product that made so much more sense, later in life than I care to admit is the sunscreen stick. This is for high sweat areas that you don’t want in your eyes! Think above brows, cheekbones, nose and lips as a rower.

The next? a tinted moisturizer with SPF because the minerals are an added screen that conditions like melasma, respect.

A moisturizer with an SPF is always a good base all day every day.

REACH,

C+F

Carmen wearing RX systems skincare in pic below to prevent her melasma.