Hello, Sunshine

Finally! Sun!

So, many, many, many people are anti-sun. I am not one of them. I am sun-wise. I have thirteen tattoos (I always need to recount) so I put SPF 50+ on them whenever they will be exposed. My Bare Escentuals makeup has SPF 15 naturally. And, I love the new spray-on sunscreens. If you are wise, you can embrace the sun in doses. Avoid becoming leathery!!!

So, here is my sun routine: apply the moisturizer and makeup, add extra SPF under makeup as desired; rub SPF 50 on the tattoos or "easily burned" spots--like shoulders and back of the neck; spray on SPF 15 or SPF 30 all over; and get dressed. I always keep my sunscreen on me too, if I know I will be out and about. So many people forget to reapply. Do not be that person!!! Reapply every couple of hours, especially between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. when the sun is strongest and even more frequently if at the beach. By doing this, you will get a healthy, slow-building tan and avoid the burns. A caveat: you do need to scrub the spray-on stuff off so take a nice shower and exfoliate.

My hair loves the sun too. She will be whatever color she wants but, in the summer, she loves going a little golden. I still protect her though. When I go to the beach, I spray on Color Endure Spray by Joico and rub some oil or conditioner onto the ends. Then, I braid her or pull her back. If you part your hair, be wary of scalp burn! I have been known to rub a little sunscreen on my part but covering the part with hair, a scarf, a hat, etc. is just as protective.

Enjoy the nice weather. Just be smart about it. Oh, and see your dermatologist regularly.

P.S. If you like to ride with the windows down, sunscreen the exposed arm(s) and tie up your tresses to avoid knots. :-)