Hotdogs, beer, swimsuits and sunscreen. That is what my 4th of July holiday will consist of; along with great friends and boating, but hopefully, no sunburns!
I have made that mistake...too many times to count! Summer after my senior year of high school, I ventured down the coast of California with two of my best friends for a 10 day road trip. Our first stop; Santa Cruz. We chilled with the Banana Slugs on the Pacific ocean beach, but the light cloud cover made us think, "we don't need sunscreen!" Ah, the effects of adolescent stupidity. Needless to say, 4 hours later, my girl friend and I had burns that would scare a clown! Neon red all down the entire back of my body...butt included. It hurt to move. And it doesn't end here.
Spring semester of my junior year of college. Place: Bondi Beach in Sydney, Australia. I rubbed spf 15 all over my body, except for my legs because I thought, "My legs never get color." Greatest mistake. Let me remind you, m'friends, that there is NO ozone layer above Australia. Again, 2 hours later after avoiding all blue box jelly fish along the tourist-filled, topless babe beach, I had a sunburn that beat all sunburns. My legs were so swollen, I could barely move. (Thank God for the boxed wine). I couldn't sleep they were throbbing so horribly. A week later, my feet had turned purple they were so burned. It actually turned to be sun poisoning per information from a wise fella on my same program. Well, thanks dude for lettimg me know now. People, I was poisoned by the sun. Now that is scary.
So after years of burns, I think I finally scared myself straight. With more and more cases of melanoma hitting home, and with more among young people for that matter, I now try to take as many precautions as I can. Now, I'm not perfect. But, who wants to look like some over-tanned, leather belt? When did tan skin become the beauty icon and who decided this? I use spf chapstick, spf hand lotion, spf face lotion, spf makeup and sunscreen. You can only really truly shake what your mamma gave you if you protect those assets with the right sunscreen!
Below are my favorite sunscreens. Please do take note and purchase some for these summer scorchers! Your beautiful, unwrinkled skin will thank you in the future!
Neutrogena Fresh Cooling Body Mist Sunblock, spf 30, $9.49
Refreshes your skin, waterproof and sweatproof, won't clog your pores and doesn't leave a sticky film on your skin. Perfect for long hours in the sun and incredibly easy to apply-- you never need an extra pair of hands. Just spray and go!Banana Boat Protective Tanning Oil Sunscreen, spf 15, $8.49
This tanning spf oil is for more of the bolder, darker skin ladies and gents. There is still a great level of sun protection, but the oil creates a stronger draw to the sun, making it more likely to burn if you are a fair toned person and don't reapply often. But still, this oil smells delicious, leaves a beautiful, glistening glow and rubs in easily. Just be sure to spread evenly, especially along bathing suit lines. If you are prone to breakouts, do not put this oil on your chest, face or back. Use a non-comodegenic product, like Aveeno or Neutrogena for acne prone, senstive areas. Overall, a product I love!
No-Ad Maximum Sunblock Lotion, spf 45, $5.99
One of the best beauty finds! A high level of protection, No-Ad is waterproof, sweatproof, and non-greasy, with vitamins, cocoa butter and aloe. Almost fragrance free, there is nothing fancy about this brand. Just great sunblock. Plus, your purchase will help further causes! A portion of all NO-AD sales is contributed to the NO-ADdiction Campaign, a non-profit drug and alcohol preventing and awareness program in schools nationwide.
And guess what? You can, of course, find these fantastic sunscreens at yours truly, Walgreens or Rite Aid, with great summer prices.
So hit the town with your best face forward-- a protected face. No one wants skin cancer. Enjoy the sun and be safe!
With love,
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