WATSKIN‘s Melanoma Awareness Panel Event hosted by Actress Lois Robbins took place on Wednesday, April 19th at Showfields Miami in honor of Melanoma Awareness Month/Skin Cancer Prevention Month this May.

This panel was comprised of an elite group of experts including Lois Robbins, Marc Hurlbert, CEO of the Melanoma Research Alliance, and Renowned Cosmetic and Medical Dermatologists Dr. Christopher O’Connell MD and Dr. Annie Gonzalez MD while being moderated by Actress Sharon Gless. Guests took their seats to watch the stellar lineup discuss everything from skin cancer statistics to racial myths with skin protection, tanning beds, and more to bring proper awareness to this growing disease. Gless started the panel by having Lois share her personal story. She spoke of finding a basal cell on her lip to then empowering women to enjoy the sun safely and with sophistication via the creation of protective sunwear brand WATSKIN. She knew there was a need in the market for fashionable UPF clothing that women would love to wear and feel confident in. She shared how people stop her on the street each day to ask where her WATSKIN pieces are from. Gless then had Dr. O’Connell, Dr. Gonzalez, and Marc Hurlbert share their stories and dedication to skin protection through their medical and research perspectives. Questions were addressed to each of the panelists and thought provoking answers included “We have millions of skin cancer patients diagnosed in the United States each year. [Skin cancer] is the number one form of cancer, with melanoma specifically reaching over 200,000 cases a year and significant morbidity and mortality from Melanoma” shared Dr. O’Connell MD.

 

After the panel portion, Gless led a Q&A where the crowd was able to participate in the discussion. Guests inquired about everything from “how to handle natural light through windows” to the “dangers of gel manicures” and “if makeup with SPF is enough coverage”. To seal the discussion portion of the event, Robbins presented a $5K check on behalf of WATSKIN to the Melanoma Research Alliance to show their dedication to the partnership and the continuation of the important research that they do for the Melanoma community.

After the discussion, guests got to view and shop WATSKIN’s new Spring and Summer 2023 Collection while enjoying goodies from Popadelics, LesserEvil, Sacred, Scott’s Protein Balls, Oobli and Orveda. Notable guests included Model Karolina Kurkova who is a cult fan of WATSKIN.

Photographer credit: Blondel Garcon