Hyaluronic Acid "Hiaruronsan" A friend of mine named Dyanne Taylor is a regular at Kewalos and has been surfing there for years. She’s a fixture of the spot, an aunty to just about everyone, and over the years has taught many of the top pro surfers in Town to swim when they were keiki. A while back, I suggested a product to Dyanne when she mentioned to me all of the sun spots she has developed after decades in the sun. The product is called hyaluronic acid, although the Japanese call it hiaruronsan. It is actually created by the body naturally, and is a slippery, gooey substance that lubricates our joints, keeps our eyes and skin hydrated, and provides the skin with elasticity and a plump, healthy look. As it turns out, hyaluronic acid can also be created by fermenting some forms of bacteria, and is considered safe for human use, even for pregnant women! It is a great way to clear up wrinkles, stretch marks, scars, and sun spots. Dyanne ended up picking some up from Don Quijote for $8.99 a bottle (super cheap!) and started using it every day. She didn’t think much about it, since it’s often difficult to...

Surfrider Spirit Sessions With Ezra Rodriguez and Hawaiian South Shore Surfrider Spirit Sessions were created in 2006 through a collaboration between executive director Cynthia Y.H. Deroisier and Girl’s Court therapist Emma Pavich. Inspired by Deroisier’s book “The Surfer Spirit,” Pavich asked Deroisier to join her in creating a program that used surfing as a platform to reach at-risk children. In 2009, Surfline Spirit Sessions became a registered, independent non-profit corporation, and it received its 501©(3) status in 2010. It provides six events each year for 100 Oahu youth (during spring, summer, and fall), exposing them to the challenging and empowering gift of surfing. The goal is to cultivate “Champions in Training” through one-on-one and group mentorship, healthy athletic and adrenaline-based outlets, cultural and environmental awareness, and improved self-esteem—needs that were expressed by the Hawaii State Family Court judges, probation officers, and counselors. Legendary pro longboarder Ezra Rodriguez is a mentor and ambassador for the Surfrider Spirit Sessions and offers his time to help run events and mentor youth. He invited us to join them in supporting the July 24 graduation session, so we went out and spent the day with a bunch of stoked kids who were being exposed to...

How to Stay Safe in the Sun   I was chatting with FCS rep Keoni Watson sometime ago, and he mentioned that the UV index was going to be super high on that weekend—pushing as high as 11. That sounded pretty gnarly to me, but I realized that I didn’t really know what the UV index meant, or where it even came from, so I decided to do some research. I found an online guideline from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and discovered some really interesting information.  As it turns out, the UV index was created in 1994 by the EPA and the National Weather Service, as a guideline to help people plan outdoor activities but avoid overexposure to UV radiation, which can cause a variety of health issues (including sunburn, cataracts, and skin cancers such as melanoma). The UV index was then updated in 2004 to serve as a more comprehensive, global UV index that provides daily guidance for UV radiation in different locations. The number provided on the UV index for any given day is projected for the time of day with the most radiation (approximately noon), but users should understand that the actual amount of UV radiation rises and falls...