Mary Barrow

Bio

My name is Mary Mills Barrow. I'm a wife and mother of three, a full-time writer and sun protection activist.

I studied int he United States and in Australia and it was in Australia that I first became aware of the problems caused by unprotected exposure to the sun. (Australia has the highest incidence of skin cancer in the world.) When I returned to the U.S. with my entrepreneurial husband, I was horrified at the epidemic of preventable skin cancer here.

With my husband, I co-authored "Sun Protection for Life: Your Guide To A Lifetime of Healthy & Beautiful Skin" (New Harbinger Publications). Although certainly not a best seller, the book provides the framework for skin cancer prevention and detection habits and introduced the acronym "SunAWARE" which was later endorsed by a number of not-for-profit organizations working in the field including the Dermatology Nurses Association, the Children's Melanoma Foundation, and The Melanoma International Foundation. The book also won our first Gold Triangle Award from the American Academy of Dermatology. I was awarded a second Gold Triangle Award for two children's books on the issue.

In the meantime, my husband and I founded Coolibar, a sun protective clothing company. Although I am no longer active in the running of the company, I believe Coolibar offers the best sun protective clothing on the market today. In fact, Coolibar was just awarded the Seal of Recognition for its clothing from the American Academy of Dermatology, the first sun protective clothing company to be so recognized.

Currently, I am working with a variety of organizations to develop classroom lessons for each of the five steps in the SunAWARE acronym. If your organization needs information or is interested in developing an education program, please contact me.