Wearing my cute Emilio Pucci sunglasses with my boys in Magic Kingdom in March 2013
For the second year in a row, I’m excited to be able to come to you as a VSP Ambassador. VSP Vision Care is an eye care provider that my family has also been a member of for almost ten years through my husband’s company! Other than me wearing glasses when I drive, none of us wears contacts or glasses but having worked with VSP for the past year, I’ve learned that eye health care is so important for everyone!
Today I’m going to talk about vacation and sunglasses. What do you look for in a pair of sunglasses? In the past, I’ll say I’ve pretty much only looked at sunglasses with the sole purpose of fashion and looking good and not eye protection.
But it’s important to do both. I’m certainly not going to tell you to not keep stylish sunglasses at the top of your list! What’s nice is that you can find both – sunglasses that are stylish but also protect your eyes.
Also, I received some great information from VSP Vision Care’s Dr. Steven Corwin, who is based out of Marietta, GA, on the topic. I asked him a couple of questions and got some interesting feedback!
Mommies with Style: How do the climates of each of the top five summer travel destinations (Nice, France; Mykonos, Greece; Maui in Hawaii; San Francisco, California and Paris, France, according to a recent U.S. News & Travel report) affect a person’s eyes? What should one look for when buying a pair of sunglasses to wear this summer (keeping in mind eye protection)?
Dr. Corwin: When shopping for sunglasses, there are many important factors to consider. First, it is helpful to determine the purpose for which they will be used. When visiting Paris, sunglasses are more of a fashion statement, and frame shapes and lens colors may vary greatly. However, if you are looking for sunglasses that are sports-specific, you should look for lens colors that will enhance the activity. If you’re visiting Maui or California, perhaps playing tennis or golf is in your plans. A brown sunglasses lens will offer greater color contrast and may help your game.
Braving the bright sunlight that’s reflecting off of the white buildings and blue waters in Mykonos, a gray lens will not distort color and is also helpful for those who are very light sensitive. Generally speaking, all quality sunglasses should provide at least 97 percent UV blockage to protect your eyes against the development of cataracts and macular degeneration. Polarized sunglass lenses are a must for any type of water activity as they are the most effective against the annoying glare that you will encounter. Braving the winds of San Francisco, you should choose a pair of frames that are large enough to provide adequate protection from the wind, which can dry your eyes out and cause irritation. They should also fit close to your face to keep the wind out. A plastic frame or a frame without nose pads will accomplish this.
Mommies with Style: How does flying and long-distance traveling affect one’s eye health? What are the must-have items to put in your travel bag with relation to keeping our eyes healthy and safe while traveling and on vacation?
Dr. Corwin: No matter which of these tourist hot spots you travel to, you may experience long flights. Flying in a pressurized cabin will no doubt dry your eyes out. Therefore, it is a good idea to bring a small bottle of artificial tears with you in your carry-on bag. Every hour or so, put a drop in your eyes. Also, contact lenses dry your eyes out even more, so if you are a contact wearer, you should remove your lenses for the flight. These tips will make your flight more comfortable for you and prevent you from ending up with an irritated, scratched eye, which could ruin your vacation.
For a chance to win $2,500 toward your next trip, enter the VSP Get Set to Jet Set Sweepstakes.” Here’s the link: http://a.pgtb.me/3Lg8zr
About: VSP Vision Care is the nation’s largest not-for-profit eyecare provider with more than 56 million members and one of their main missions is to help promote the importance of eye health in
connection to our overall health!
Disclosure: I am a paid ambassador of VSP. As always, all thoughts and opinions are my own.
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