Smooth News Sample

Back to school + Super savings on summer scents = Smooth!

The lazy, lackadaisical days of summer are over once school starts. School days mean alarms and schedules and return to regimen so it's the perfect time to get back to smooth!

All of that sunning and funning can take a toll on your skin, so buckle down and give your skin what it needs to be soft, smooth and healthy by committing yourself to a skincare routine with Simple Sugars all-natural scrubs. Prolong your summer glow and relive that vacation state of mind while enjoying super savings on our lush summer scents during our annual summer stock-up sale. 

From now through the end September take advantage of super savings on our all-natual Raspberry, Peach, Lemonade and Lime Body Scrubs. Get 'em while you can. 

Introducing the first installment of the Simple Sugars Myth Busters Series: Tanning 101

In the waning days of summer lots of us are trying to get the most out of the tans we’ve proudly cultivated during days at the pool and vacations at the beach. Why? Because everyone loves to be tan! Being tan makes us look good, healthy even. People LOVE to be tan. Indoor tanning is a $4.9 billion dollar industry for god’s sake. (In comparison, the domestic US market for sunscreen is worth $680 million) Yep, people LOVE to be tan. Nevermind that dastardly risk of skin cancer and that half of us will have it at least once by the time we’re 65. WE HAVE TO BE TAN!!!

So because we love you and your malpighian layer (more on that in a minute) we are going to tell you everything you need to know about tanning. You’ll thank us later. We know it.
First a little info about your skin. Let’s make this as simple as possible.

You all know that skin is made up of layers. The skin you show the world is called the epidermis and it has two main layers, the inner which is living and the outer which is dead.
This is where your malpighian (pronounced mal-PIDgeon) layer comes in. The malpighian is the living layer and it’s where all the action happens. It contains cells called melanocytes which produce melanin which is the pigment responsible for your tan (or the lack of pigment responsible for albinism on the other end of the spectrum).  And as it happens, when these cells get damaged by UV radiation and they are repeatedly exposed they can mutate and cause melanoma. That’s skin cancer, for those of you that are living under a rock of some kind.

The dead, outer layer is called the stratum corneum. It’s this layer that people see as your skin. The cells in this layer are filled with keratin which is the same tough stuff that makes up fingernails (and horns if you have them ;) It’s keratin that makes the bottom of your feet get so tough after traipsing around barefoot all summer.  (Ok pause here for shameless but necessary plug: Do ya now see why you need to be scrubbin’ on a regular basis?? You don’t want to grow horns do you?!)

Now let’s throw the sun into this.  Sunlight contains both UVA (think wrinkles) and UVB (think sun damage) rays. UV light stimulates melanocytes to produce melanin. Melanin absorbs the UV radiation, so it protects cells from UV damage. But producing melanin takes some time, which is why you can’t get a tan in one day. You have to expose yourself to UV light for a short period of time to stimulate the melanocytes. They will continue to produce more melanin and as the pigment builds up in your body (TAN!) OVER THE COURSE OF 5-7 DAYS it will reach a level that is protective. You see, my friends, your tan, if done right, actually PROTECTS you from sun damage. Melanin is your naturally produced sunscreen. (Chemical sunscreens absorb UV radiation also, which is why they work or not depending on how often you apply them)

However, if you don’t produce enough melanin (blondes and redheads) and you spend too much time in the sun, OR you spend too much time in the sun and your body can't get a high enough level of melanin established OR you’re not wearing a sunscreen, you get a sunburn, which is just a cute way of saying “cellular damage from UV radiation” which is a not-so-cute way of saying precursor to skin cancer.
Just like tan is the result of the pigment melanin building up in the skin, sunburn is the result of blood rushing to the sight of injured skin cells to try to help them out. Makes you think about that lobster look a little differently huh?

So let us debunk the biggest and most ridiculous of all tanning myths right here and now: SUNBURN DOES NOT “TURN INTO TAN”. The only thing sunburn turns into is skin damage.

So can you get a healthy tan? Yes, you sure can if you have the ability to produce enough melanin (which is determined by your genetics, sorry you fair flowers out there). Just limit your sun exposure and realize that tanning happens gradually over 5-7 days NOT hours. Be nice to your malpighian layer and it will be nice to you :)

Simple Sugars is now available in 14 Giant Eagle Stores in the Pittsburgh Area!

In addition to the Market District Stores in Shadyside, Robinson, Bethel and Wexford, Simple Sugars are also now available in the following stores:

Shaler, 1671 Butler Plank Road, Glenshaw PA, 15116

New Kensington, 200 Tarentum Bridge Road, New Kensington PA, 15068

Wexford, 9805 Mcknight Road, Pgh PA, 15237

Cranberry, 20111 Rte. 19, Cranberry Mall, Cranberry Township PA, 16066

Monroeville, 4010 Monroeville Blvd., Monroeville PA, 15146

Irwin, 8813 Rte. 30, North Huntingdon Square, North Huntingdon PA, 15642

West Mifflin, 9901 Mountainview Drive, Century Plaza, West Mifflin PA, 15122

Donaldson’s Crossroads, 4007 Washington Rd., McMurray PA, 15317

Homestead, 420 East Waterfront Drive, Homestead PA, 15120

Erie, Harborcreek 4265 Buffalo Road, Erie PA, 16510

If you're near any of these stores, stop in and check out our adorable (if we must say so ourselves :) new display racks and pick up some smoothness!

Meet Sarah! She rocks as our social media strategist AND she plays the uke.

Hi there folks! I’m Sarah, and if you’d ask any of my friends they would say that the only normal thing about me is my name. Originally from a small town called Honesdale that’s famous for a cow population that rivals human populous, I came to the Burgh in 2009 to pursue a degree in the art of talking (otherwise known as Communication & Rhetoric) at University of Pittsburgh. Yo hablo espanol tambien because I am duel-majoring in Spanish.  Traveling to Spain last summer was absolutely life-changing, though this Italian would choose Italy over Spain any day. That being said, I love food and pasta of course, but it can be difficult to stay fed at times being a vegetarian who doesn’t like cheese . On a normal day you could find me strolling down the street or on my porch jamming out on my Uke. Music is my life and singing is my passion. I love fashion, but have no appreciation for expensive brands or labels so I normally head to the local thrift store for a spree. You’ll never find me without my quirky pink Swatch watch which is stained with a palette of paint from my finger painting endeavors. Yes finger painting! I am a Bikram yoga fanatic who swears by the theory  of Karma. That being said, I try to smile every day and keep things simple. Simple pleasures are kind of my thing, that’s probably why I love Simple Sugars!