Yesterday was a gorgeous day here at the Jersey shore. Bright, sunny, and nearly 80 degrees out — pretty amazing for the middle of April. I took advantage of the great weather and took a three mile walk on the boardwalk… only to come home with my first burn of the year!
My poor face: red, hot, and terribly uncomfortable. It made me quite the cranky girl last night! For shame! Despite often warning friends and family to wear sunscreen, I didn’t bother to take my own advice. Bad Aimee! I guess it’s time for me to review the basics.
For sunscreen to work best, you shouldn’t head out the door immediately after you apply it. It takes as long as a half hour for the chemicals in the sunscreen to bond with your skin for best effectiveness. And there are different sunscreens for different parts of your body. If you use a body-specific sunscreen on your face, you could find yourself with shiny skin and even blocked pores! Using an oil-free formula on your face will help protect your skin from sun AND keep your complexion looking its best.
And you don’t just need sunscreen on sunny days. You can get burned on a cloudy day too! As much as 80 percent of the sun’s rays can burst through the cloud cover and give you a burn. Don’t think a darker complexion protects you, either. More pigment in your skin will protect you from UVB rays, but UVA rays can still harm you. UVA rays are the ones that can cause wrinkling and other signs of premature aging.
Last but not least, don’t forget your delicate parts: your ears and your lips. If there’s anywhere I forget to apply sunscreen, it’s usually my ears. Ow! Lipstick or lip gloss provides a bit of protection for your lips, but you’re better off using something that has an actual SPF rating. I’m a fan of Chapstick with SPF 15, but you can find all sorts of colorful lip products that will also keep your kisser safe from the sun.