Practice Safe Sun

 I am an idiot.

No really I am. Sun protection is one of those things that every beauty forum preaches about until they are blue in the face. For good reason. Let the sun abuse you = potential untimely death.

Ok that was dramatic but you get it.

So if all of this is common knowledge why have I already let myself suffer through 2 sunburns (1 severe) this summer.

...because I am an idiot.

I figured 2 sunburns over the span of 1 month is plenty and it was time to address this little issue. So on a recent trip to the drugstore aisle at Walmart I did some digging, read some ingredients, and made some purchases.

For my face I tend to prefer physical sunscreen. (Zinc and Titanium dioxides) These have been phased out of sunscreens meant for the face in recent years because they create the dreaded flashback which is great for fun in the sun but not so great for a for flash photography. (Ghostface anyone?)

But their chemical counterparts are pretty notorious for being not as great for your skin despite their smooth and invisible look. I don't mind them on the body but on my face I prefer the classics.

Do some research for yourself but this is the route I prefer.

What I chose:

I ended up going the Neutrogena route as it happens. This wasn't intentional just how it went down.

For the face: Neutrogena Baby Faces Ultra Gentle Cream SPF 45+. Baby and sensitive skin formulas tend to stick to the physical blockers and while this is a thicker cream texture this sits nicely on the skin and wears well under makeup. I also find baby formulas are less likely to cause issues with my skin across the board.

For the body: Neutrogena Beach Defense Water+Sun Barrier Lotion. This stuff is all chemical blockers but it feels SO SMOOTH and light on the skin. I prefer this for the body because I hate it when sand sticks (or any errant NYC grim for that matter) and I hate having to wait to put on my clothes. The SPF 30 reapplied regularly give me a nice mellow tan without any issue. 

Rules to stick to:

-Reapply every 90 minutes to 2 hours.

-Give your skin breaks during periods of extreme sun exposure. (1 hour in 1 hour out)

-Stay hydrated. (1 cocktail 1 water)

-Moisturize when you're done!

Hopefully this helps you guys avoid my mistakes this summer and hopefully I will be more conscientious going forward.

Safe Sunning Lovlies.

PS. Look at this flower from my Mom's garden! Such a perfect shade of periwinkle.