While we often associate the sun with summer days, winter rays in the mountains can be just as harmful to the skin. To raise awareness among skiers and prevent skin cancers, the League Against Cancer and France Montagnes have launched a unique initiative: the installation of free sunscreen dispensers in eight French ski resorts.
Sun’boxes to protect skiers
These distributors, called “Sun’box”, will allow vacationers to protect themselves effectively throughout the season. The stations concerned cover the five French massifs: Chamonix, Chamrousse, Les Menuires and Isola 2000 in the Alps, Monts Jura in the Jura, Saint-Lary in the Pyrenees, Super-Besse in the Massif central and Gérardmer in the Vosges.
The sunscreen available in Sun’boxes offers an SPF 50 protection index, validated by the National Union of Dermatologists and Venereologists, and protects against both UVA and UVB rays. The objective is twofold: to raise public awareness of the risks linked to UV rays and to facilitate access to sun protection, particularly for families and children.
The sun in the mountains: an often underestimated risk
Contrary to popular belief, the winter sun in the mountains is not harmless. As you gain altitude, exposure to ultraviolet rays increases: approximately 4% every 300 meters. At 3,000 meters, UV intensity is 40% higher than at sea level. Snow reflects up to 90% of the sun’s rays, further amplifying the danger. Even on overcast days, up to 80% of UV rays pass through clouds, which can cause skin damage.
Protect all audiences, and primarily children
Children are particularly vulnerable: their skin is thinner and their defense mechanisms against UV rays are still immature. “The cold felt at altitude can be deceptive: it masks the intensity of UV rays“, recalls Vincent Jay, director of France Montagnes. The Sun’boxes therefore aim to remind people of good prevention actions and to facilitate the application of sunscreen, while disseminating information via brochures and QR codes.
Sun protection is not limited to cream
While sunscreen remains an essential tool, it does not replace other protective measures. Avoiding direct sunlight, covering up, wearing a hat or helmet and protecting your eyes with certified anti-UV glasses remain essential to reduce the risk of sunburn and eye damage, such as snow keratitis.
For Emmanuel Ricard, director of prevention of the League against cancer, “skin cancer should never be inevitable. Even if we cannot reduce the intensity of UV rays, we can facilitate simple actions to protect ourselves, starting on the ski slopes.“Thanks to this initiative, prevention becomes accessible and immediate, so that the mountain continues to be synonymous with pleasure and safety.