Sun-smart women: meet three unique women—all touched in some way by skin cancer. Find out how this common disease has shaped their lives and what each one is doing to help keep you healthy

Shape, May, 2006 by Maureen Connoly

MELISSA MARKS PAPOCK

designing for safety

Five years ago, Melissa Marks Papock was working in New York City as a fashion editor for a teen magazine. Being a chronicler of style, she'd normally have filed that time away as "the summer of the tube top," except that in the summer of 2001, she was diagnosed with amelanotic melanoma--an easily overlooked and potentially deadly skin cancer. She was just 26 years old.

HER TURNING POINT

"What was shocking to me was that my melanoma didn't fit the descriptions I had ever read about," says Papock, a fair-skinned strawberry blonde who now lives in Ridgefield, Conn. The tiny, flesh-colored dot on her arm turned out to be the problem. It was removed and despite a 5-inch scar, she considers herself lucky: A CAT scan showed no signs that the malignant cells had spread.

THE ONE CHANGE SHE MADE

Cancer-free since her surgery, Papock says her life has been forever altered. "Once you've had cancer, it's never too far from your mind," she says. Since too much sun is the most preventable cause of melanoma, Papock was inspired to create Cabana Life, a line of sun-protective clothing and accessories for children that launched this year. "The clothing we sell has an UPF [Ultraviolet Protection Factor] of 50 plus," she says. Look for a full clothing line for adults in the future; right now, a woman's wide-brim poplin hat with UPF 50 ($27; cabanalife.com) is available. A portion of Cabana Life's profits go to the nonprofit Skin Cancer Foundation.

melissa's stay-safe tips

Trust your instincts.

"If you see a skin change that seems off, ask your doctor," advises Papock. "Doing so could save your life."

Be a role model.

"My mother stressed the importance of regular skin checks," she says. "Now I protect my daughter with sunscreen and sun-protective clothing."

'my favorite skin savers'

Since her skin-cancer diagnosis, Cabana Life creator Melissa Marks Papock is vigilant about applying, and reapplying, sunscreen, including makeup with SPF. A daily must: Shiseido Suncare Sun Protection Liquid Foundation SPF 42 ($31; www.sca.shiseido.com).

NATALIE CAMILLE JOHNSON

preventing tragedy, promoting awareness

When Natalie Camille Johnson's brother Eric died at the age of 21 in May 1999, he had only been through two months of chemotherapy. The combination of melanoma (the deadliest form of skin cancer) and a quick-spreading tumor in his chest didn't leave him much of a chance. But fair-haired, blue-eyed Johnson, 26--a former Miss Utah--made a promise not only to be vigilant about sun protection herself (her brother having had melanoma puts her in the high-risk category) but also to help others avoid her sibling's fate.

HER TURNING POINT

"I never realized how much of a problem skin cancer was until after my brother's diagnosis," says Johnson, who grilled dermatologists and other experts for information and statistics on melanoma, which will kill an estimated 7,910 Americans in 2006.

Here's the irony: "Most people don't realize that too much sun exposure is the most preventable cause of melanoma," Johnson explains. "If you catch suspicious moles and sunspots, which may be precursors to cancer early enough, you can prevent them from becoming cancerous."

Skin cancer has since become Natalie's personal crusade: Since her brother's death, she has gotten involved in dozens of national and local nonprofit cancer organizations, including the American Cancer Society and the Huntsman Cancer Institute in Salt Lake City, which has a melanoma clinic especially for people at high risk. (Natalie visits the Institute annually for a mole check.)

THE ONE CHANGE SHE MADE

In learning more about skin cancer, Johnson realized that something was missing from skin-cancer awareness programs: a universal symbol, similar to breast cancer awareness' iconic pink ribbon. "I sketched different versions to present to the American Academy of Dermatology," Johnson says, and one was approved: an orange ribbon with a yellow-orange sunburst. "It represents the cause of skin cancer (overexposure to ultraviolet light) as well as serving as a message of hope."

natalie's stay-safe tips

Respect your skin.

"The skin is the body's largest organ," Johnson says, adding that many of us don't care for it the way we should. That includes minimizing its exposure to sunlight and tanning beds, in addition to wearing sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 15 whenever you're outside, she says.

Get a healthy glow with self-tanner.

"I like the look of a tan, but it doesn't have to be the real thing," she says. "Make sure to rub self-tanner in so it penetrates and doesn't look streaky, and wash hands often while applying to avoid orange palms and nail beds."

'my favorite skin savers'

Natalie Johnson loves a little color in the summer. Her safe pick: Neutrogena Instant Bronze Sunless Tanner and Bronzer in One ($10; at drugstores). To protect her skin against incidental UV damage, she doubles up with daily SPF 30 moisturizer and SPF makeup, like Dior Diorskin Compact Foundation with SPF 12 ($40; sephora.com).