July is UV safety awareness month, and as you can imagine sun safety and eye health is very important to our San Diego sunglasses company. In fact, it's one of the main reasons we started the company!
Sunnies for the Whole Family
The idea for Roshambo Eyewear started in 2012 after realizing that nobody was making high-quality baby sunglasses. Owners Scott and Julia were at a Padres baseball game with a four month old staring up at the bright sun with no protection. Scott put his adult sunglasses on her and lightning struck: Little People Deserve Big People Shades.
That means making our stylish baby shades in Italy. That means assembling them by hand in the USA. That means all polarized lenses. That means making them prescription friendly frames. That means making them safe, durable, flexible, ultra-light and chewable for little mouths. And that means making them just as stylish as designer adult shades but without charging designer prices.
After two years of working nights and weekends around their full time jobs, Scott and Julia had created the world’s best, high-quality baby sunglasses ready for their little one - and yours! Scott didn't want stop there though, he wanted to wear matching shades with his baby girl, Avery, so they started production on kids and adult sizes so the whole family can match! And since then we've grown into Roshambo Eyewear supporting prescription glasses as well.
Not all Sunglasses are Equal
Ultraviolet (UV) rays are an invisible kind of radiation that comes from the sun. There are three types of UV Rays: ultraviolet A (UVA), ultraviolet B (UVB), and ultraviolet C (UVC). Overexposure to the sun’s UV rays can cause damage to the skin and eyes and cause different types of cancer and long-term ailments.
Ultraviolet A (UVA)
UVA rays penetrate deep into the layers of the skin and lead to premature signs of aging, which include fine lines and wrinkles. It is important to note that the amount of UVA stays relatively consistent throughout the year, and exceeds the amount of UVB in both summer and winter. Even on a cloudy day, 80% of the sun's UVA rays pass through the clouds and reach our skin and eyes. It's also important to know that tanning beds work by emitting primarily UVA rays.
Ultraviolet B (UVB)
UVB rays are the primary cause of sunburn, thickening of the skin, and several types of skin cancers - including melanoma. UVB rays penetrate the outermost layer of skin and cause damage to skin cells. UVB also can cause damage to eyes and the immune system.
Ultraviolet C (UVC)
UVC is the strongest of the UV spectrum radiation. Fortunately, UVC rays do not reach the earth's surface because it is blocked by the ozone layer of the atmosphere. The only way we can be exposed to UVC radiation is from an artificial source, such as a lamp or laser.
When choosing sunglasses, don't focus on the color or darkness of the lens. The important part is that they block 100% of UVA rays and UVB rays.
Lens Darkness
All Roshambo sunglasses lenses are Category 3 in terms of darkness, which falls into line with the European standard for UV protective sunglasses and also meet regulated United States safety standards. All of our sunglasses also have polarized lenses, which provides 100% protection against UVA, UVB and UVC rays.
Sunglasses Year Round
Don’t be fooled by clouds or the temperature outside. Sun damage to eyes can occur anytime during the year, not just in the summertime. The sun’s rays can pass through haze and thin clouds, and are more intense at higher altitudes.
All Roshambo sunglasses provide a high level of sun glare reduction and UV protection against strong sun brightness and light reflected off of water or snow.
Protect Your Kiddos
Children run an increased risk of UV damage to their eyes because their lens is still clear and the pupil is wider than in adults. As much as 50% of lifetime UV damage to your eyes occurs before the age of 10 and is irreversible - causing terrible long-term ailments!
“It’s important to protect your eyes year-round, not just during the summer,” said Dianna Seldomridge, MD, clinical spokesperson for the American Academy of Ophthalmology. “Harmful UV rays are present even on cloudy days. Wearing a wide-brimmed hat also cuts down on exposure. And don’t forget babies and kids. They also need to wear hats and sunglasses.”
Prescription Sunglasses
If you or your child wear prescription glasses, it is also just as important to wear prescription sunglasses outdoors! Roshambo Eyewear offers prescription sunglasses as well as transitioning sunglasses, which go from clear to dark when exposed to the sun. Great options for your children to play outdoors safely!
Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek and Slide
And as always, we are super 80s fans so we dug around and found this awesome vintage ad with Sid the Seagull - supporting our mission for sun safety! "Slip, Slap, Slop" is one of the most successful health campaigns in Australia's history, and was launched by Cancer Council in 1981.
SLIP on a shirt
SLOP on sunscreen
SLAP on a hat
SEEK shade
SLIDE on sunnies
