It’s finally here! I am days away from turning my mind’s focus back to its usual routine of skin, skin and skin!!!! As you all know the primary election is Tuesday, May 22nd. My husband and I feel nervous, excited and tired. Jarrard running for Sheriff has been an experience that has been great for our family. Although I complain about it frequently, I honestly believe it has been a wonderful experience. With a 3 year old, five year old, full time job and a husband running for Sheriff I have had events most nights of the week. I think I am averaging a baby sitter 4 nights per week the past few months. But I believe God puts us through trials to teach us something about ourselves, others and Him(Thank you Pastor Will Harmon for speaking those words into my heart a few weeks ago at Church, shout out to Cavanaugh Free Will Baptist, join the Copeland’s any time!). That is exactly what has happened. I have learned that Jarrard has more good in him than I even knew possible as his wife. I have learned that I strive on new experiences. I enjoy meeting new people and learning new things and no matter how much time it consumes, I enjoy that. I have learned that when you want to curse someone and pray for their demise God gives you peace and patience when you least expect it and shows you how you should be praying. So win or lose on Tuesday, I’m thankful Jarrard put himself out there and got our family into politics. With that being said, boy I hope we win {insert laughing emoji}. This blog post will not teach you about skin. It will, however, teach you why I am voting for my husband for Sheriff and why you should too.

1. He is a family man. He retired sooner than he wanted to after 25 years at the Fort Smith Police Department because I asked him to retire. He had already spent years on the night shift losing time with his sons. After 25 years of service working nights, weekends, holidays and being on call I thought he earned time to help me raise our little girls. He did, reluctantly, he retired. Any man that puts his family before his career is a man you want leading a department. You can sleep at night knowing he understands the importance of family to those officers. Because no man can go out at night and put his life on the line successfully and at his best without a supportive family behind him.
2. He is the only name you knew before the campaign started. That’s not a brag. It’s the way Jarrard has policed for 25 years. He has been helping the community. He has made his presence known and let Fort Smith citizens know he is a cop who was there to help. He has never put his ego or authority before his duty to serve the citizens. He made me jump into a freezing cold pool for the polar bear plunge to raise money for Special Olympics when we were dating 12 years ago. He has always been a servant to Fort Smith, that’s what the county needs, proven dedication.
3. He is a natural born leader. He has leadership skills you can’t teach. He leads by example. Being married to him I understand what officers say when they tell me he motivates them to be good. He is the kind of person you want to follow. I wish I had a penny for every time someone said “oh you’re married to the chief of police”. No, not the chief, just a leader without the title.
4. I am his wife. I often joke, “why didn’t we make shirts that said to vote for Nina Copeland’s husband”. Honestly, we are married, we are a team. If you like me, you will love him. If you vote for him, you are voting for me. Plus, I will make sure the Sebastian County Sheriffs Office is sunsmart and Skintastic! Duh
5. He has the experience and a new vision. Have you ever worked a puzzle for hours and get stuck? Your spouse walks by, takes one glance, grabs a puzzle piece and snaps it right into place. It’s not because they are smarter than you. It’s because they got a fresh look at things. The SCSO has not had someone from outside the agency voted as Sheriff in more than 50 years. He has law enforcement experience that gives him tools to understand the department plus that new vision which might just be the refreshment the SCSO needs right now.
6. He listens. We have had countless citizens and employees of the SCSO in our home telling us what they would like to see happen if Jarrard is elected. If he has spent hours listening before he is even elected that proves the open door policy he will continue for his employees and citizens of Sebastian County.
7. He has the experience. He has more experience than any other candidate in working homicides, theft, kidnapping and every other crime for which the FBI keeps statistics. You already know how well he does as public information officer after years of watching him on the local news. He  has supervised multiple departments at the FSPD so successfully that his former employees and co-workers with the Fraternal Order of Police have endorsed him.
8. He is good looking and charming. I mean he has to be the best looking candidate. Why wouldn’t you vote for him for his good looks?
9. He is sunsmart! Have you seen how dedicated he is to the wide brim hat to protect his face, neck and ears from the sun. If you were one of the thousands he met going door to door I bet you saw it!
10. He has not said one bad thing about another candidate and made sure the committee to elect Jarrard Copeland for Sheriff hasn’t either. He has made sure people are voting for him and not against his opponents because that’s the only way he wants to win.

Get out and vote! It’s important and an easy way for your voice to be heard in how our community is run. This year you can vote at any poll, the one close to your house, work or wherever! If you see me standing out with a sign stop and say hello. Or just run in, ask for the Republican ballot and vote Jarrard Copeland for Sheriff!

Stay skintastic, Nina

Thank you to all my readers who have stuck by my side while I am on the campaign trail! Don’t forget to go vote if you live in Sebastian County (If you are voting for my husband, Jarrard Copeland, otherwise go ahead and forget). Thank you to Dr. Sandy who has so graciously been keeping all of you blog readers entertained. Thank you to Gabbi, one of our amazing lab techs who stepped up to the plate to educate you all about sun protection! We are so blessed to have our own lab right here in our office. Thank you lab team for all you do and thank you to Gabbi for educating us all during Melanoma Awareness Month!

When I was a kid, my mom would pour buckets of sunscreen (okay, not literally) on me during the summer because she didn’t want me to get sunburnt. I always complained, because I hated the feel of icky, sticky sunscreen (still hate the feeling of it, TBH). But my mom drilled into me that it was important to take care of my body and that meant using sunscreen.

 

Now, after working at a dermatology office for a while, I realized that all of those cute freckles and moles and golden tans from the sun can actually be really harmful, even fatal. As the Center for Disease and Control (CDC) says, “tanned skin is damaged skin[1].”

 

Mom was right. Who would have thought? ?

 

But how do we best protect ourselves from the sun’s harmful rays? There are lots of ways, and quality sunscreen is a good place to start. But, are all sunscreens equal? When it comes to picking out a sunscreen, there are a few factors to consider. The American Academy of Dermatology, a leading expert in skin care, recommends to look for these three essentials: SPF 30 or higher, UVA/UVB protection (also known as broad spectrum protection), and water resistant[2].

 

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. Think of SPF as armor for your skin and the sunrays as dangerous, flaming arrows. SPF compares the time it takes for your skin to burn in the sun with sunscreen compared to burning in the sun without sunscreen. The more sunscreen, the longer your skin takes to burn, the higher the SPF number. To further that thought, the higher the SPF, the more protection you have against the sun’s rays.

For example, imagine you’re paper white (like me), and your skin burns within 5 minutes in the sun. If you put on sunscreen with an SPF of 30 and you burn within 5 minutes: 5 minutes x SPF 30 = 150 minutes of sun protection. Hint: if you’re out in the sun all day, this is why you need to reapply that sunscreen, and then reapply and reapply!  This SPF factor is only accurate if you use your sunscreen as directed—which means a nickel sized amount of sunblock for the face.  If you use less than this, which most of us do then you are not getting the SPF as advertised.

 

Also, you want to make sure to use a sunblock that works on UVA, UVB, and infrared rays (IR). SPF refers only to UVB protection.  One of our favorite sunblocks is TD&R because it totally defends you against UVA, UVB and IR as well as repairs your skin—more than a sun block.

 

So how else can you guard your skin, besides a good sunscreen?

 

Being sun smart is more than just sunscreen. It’s a life style change. It takes conscious effort. Like putting your sunscreen by your toothbrush so you are ready to face the day with those pearly whites and that glowing, healthy skin.

 

Ladies, did you know that some makeup brands contain SPF in them? Look for mineral-based makeup with an SPF of at least 15; here at Johnson, we like Jane Iredale’s makeup line. Who knew you could be gorgeous and sun safe at the same time!

 

Here are some other ways to be kind to your skin for the upcoming summer.

• Hats! Hats are your friends, especially wide-brimmed ones! Protect your neck, ears, and face by being stylish and sun safe at the same time.
• Maxi dresses are great for the summertime too! They protect your legs and are light and breezy. Add a stylin’ umbrella and you’ll be a sun-smart fashionista. And what do you use for the skin exposed to the sun? *Cough* sunscreen *cough* You guys are so smart!

 

• Since we gearing up for summer and those beach vacays, it’s only right that we talk about swimsuits. How cute are these swimsuits by TheSeea?! While they aren’t traditional bikinis, they are still super cute and fashionable.

 

Photos Courtesy of TheSeea

 

 

• While on the topic of clothing, there are retailors who make clothes that contain an UPF, ultraviolet protection factor. This is especially important in swimsuits, since you’ll likely be in the sun a lot[3].

 

• Avoid being in the sun at peak hours: between 10am and 4pm. Alternatively, if you are outside during those hours, find or make some shade! A tree, an umbrella, the side of a building, your husband, your best friend, anything that makes a barrier between you and the sun.

 

• ABSOLUTELY NO TANNING BEDS. Just no.

 

 

• Also, when planning your outdoor activities, take a look at the daily UV index. This can help you prevent accidental overexposure to the sunlight, since there are a lot of factors that play into the UV index[4]. To find the UV index, look at the US EPA website or download their nifty app onto your phone! Your UV index is just a click away!

 

• And don’t forget about your eyeballs! Arguably one of the most important sensory organs in our body, we need to protect them too. Look for sunglasses that block 100% of UV rays. Can’t be having cataracts at our age[5]! Or any age for that matter.

• Some people swear by herbal supplements, such a niacin, to maintain healthy skin. While taking a quality multivitamin definitely has health benefits, the FDA has not approved oral supplements alone as a way to guard against the sun’s harmful rays[6]. The only form of sun protection regulated by the FDA is good sunscreen.

 

There you have it folks, sun protection 101! Hope you enjoyed the ride as much as me!

 

[1] https://www.cdc.gov/cancer/skin/basic_info/what-is-skin-cancer.htm

[2] https://www.aad.org/media/news-releases/american-academy-of-dermatology-statement-on-oral-supplements-for-sun-protection

[3] https://www.aad.org/media/news-releases/american-academy-of-dermatology-recognizes-coolibar-for-sun-protective-clothing

[4] http://www.who.int/features/qa/40/en/

[5] https://www.ewg.org/sunscreen/top-sun-safety-tips/#.WmVLhVQ-eAx

[6] https://www.aad.org/media/news-releases/american-academy-of-dermatology-statement-on-oral-supplements-for-sun-protection