Wear Sunscreen

I'm not sure what took me so long to take the great advice from the widely shared column article from 1997 titled Wear Sunscreen that become a popular graduation speech. Here it is if you need a refresher or have no idea what I'm talking about.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/columnists/chi-schmich-sunscreen-column-column.html

It wasn't until I reached my 30's that I started taking sun protection seriously.  I grew up spending my summers at the beach and wearing strong sunscreen was not really a big priority. I sported a sweet tan every year but unfortunately nursed many sunburns with bottles of green gooey aloe. My young self didn't mind though. It seemed like a small price to pay to get the perfect tan that I desired.

Once I reached my 30's I started to notice some of the damage the sun had caused to my skin over the years of abuse. A few years ago I went to a dermatologist for the very first time and had to have a spot on my back removed, which thankfully was benign. It was then that I vowed to start loving my skin more. It took a perspective change for me. I take care of my body by working out regularly and eating well so why would I constantly purposely damage the largest organ in the human body? It didn't really make sense. I realize now that healthy skin is so much prettier than tan skin.

While I can't undo all of the damage that has already been done, I will take the extra measures to prevent more from taking place. For my face, I apply moisturizer with SPF daily and when at the beach I always have on a baseball cap or woven wide brimmed hat to shade my face from the sun. For beach trips I am also now wearing sunscreen with SPF 50. That's 35 to 46  higher than what I used to wear! Wanna now the crazy thing? I still have a sift sun-kissed glow even with SPF 50. A tan without the burning and peeling and rubbing myself in green goo.  I never would have guessed. It's the best of both worlds. I know my practice is not perfect but it's a whole lot better than what it was.

If you are a sun lover who doesn't use protection, trust me, it will catch up to you. Do yourself a favor and love the skin you're in by showing it some love. It's not too late. 😎