Let The Sunshine In

Chow.com has a YouTube channel that tells everyone how they are doing things wrong in the kitchen. It’s actually a pretty good group of videos if you can get past the fact that they are incredibly bossy. I’m attempting to adapt a new set of best practices that I can memorize and then use in every situation, one of which is, don’t give advice unless you are asked for it first. I’ve been working with these best practices for about five days and I’m about to give you some advice, even though you didn’t ask for it. It’s life saving, life changing advice, and I promise not to get bossy, so we’re just going to have to look past me breaking my own rules.

Sun and Cirrus Clouds --- Image by © Royalty-Free/Corbis

Your skin is your largest organ and covers about 20 square feet of space. Your skin is vitally important because it holds all of your organs, bones, and muscles together. Skin also keeps the bad stuff out while maintaining your temperature. Your skin is amazing and most of you don’t take care of it. Not smoking, avoiding stress, living a chemical free lifestyle, and of course staying out of the sun are excellent ways to look after your skin, but you can do better.

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Imagine All That On The OUTSIDE

Every single person should wear a shot glass full of sunscreen 30 SPF of higher every single day. Broad spectrum coverage sunscreen prevents skin cancer and wrinkly skin. I’ve got the scars from the biopsies of the melanomas when I did not wear sunscreen and I’d rather not have any more. The “freckles” on my face are actually sunspots and are permanent from when I tanned as a teenager to help the hereditary skin condition I have. Sunscreen is not painful, but a visit to the dermatologist can be.

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My skin allergies make it nearly impossible for me to use most products, but today there are lots of organic and all natural sunscreens that fit the bill. Kiss My Face has a great line of all natural sunscreens that aren’t oily or heavy. The Honest Company has a pure mineral sunscreen that is incredibly effective and is great for people with sensitive skin. Badger Balm has three levels of sunscreen protection from daily to active to sport and all three are organic and chemical free. Wearing sunscreen is easy. I wear it every day and so should you, even if you don’t even venture outside.

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One ounce seems like a lot of sunscreen, but trust me your skin will love it. The Australians have a fun video that sums up how to apply sunscreen with a catchy song and tips. They also have an app that can be downloaded at the app store for the iPhone which will tell you when it’s time to reapply your sunscreen and how much to put on each area of your body.

If you are like me and have a really horrible relationship with the sun, then you might want to think about staying out of the sun altogether. When it is super duper hot I stay inside and if I absolutely have to go out on sunny days I stay in the shade. If I do have to go in the sun I wear clothing that will protect me from the sunny rays. I like LL Bean and their Tropicwear line of clothing. The clothes have a 50 SPF and they are comfortable and lightweight. During the summer I live in their pants and button down shirts. My sun hat is actually a fishing hat, but it is SPF 50 and it is remarkably comfortable. I throw on my big sunglasses on I am ready to fight the sun.

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If you’re worried about vitamin D, there are lots of healthy ways you can eat a whole bunch of vitamin D without even leaving the shade. The sun is a marvelous thing, it’s warm and amazing, but it also can damage your most precious organ if you don’t take control. I know I said I wasn’t going to give unsolicited, bossy advice, but I knew most of you were putting sunscreen on all wrong. Listen to the Australians and slip, slop, slap, seek and slide every single day.

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