Sun's out, gun's out, right? I'm referring to this t-shirt, not the piece of machinery. Nope. Put all those away. Instead, let us bask in all the sunny rays falling down on us, but let's all remember to use SPF. And what is it, you ask? 'Sunscreen is a lotion, spray, gel or other topical product that absorbs or reflects some of the sun's ultraviolet (UV) radiation on the skin exposed to sunlight and thus helps to protect against sunburn' (read more about it here). I am all for SPF. For many years, I shied away from the sun, choosing to sit in the shade with my floppy hat and on occasion, sun umbrella so that my pale skin wouldn't catch. But as I've grown, I've realised that although I love having wonderfully pale skin, I also quite like the look of a soft sun kissed glow and I've determined to get one this year on my holiday. So, in order for this to happen, and for me to not end up looking like a lobster or something horrendously pink, I'm going to try my best to expose parts of my skin to the sun, in the build up, so that it won't be too shocked by the strength of the sun come the middle of May.
Even though I'll sunbathing for the first time in goodness knows how long, I'l still be doing it responsibly and using SPF, or more precisely this offering from Reinmann P20 Once A Day Sun Protection (£24.99, here). I chose it in their 50+ category, as I know my fair skin will burn, so I'll need all the protection I can get. It's waterproof, non-greasy and fragrance free although I always seem to smell a little bit of alcohol when I spray it onto the skin. It also lasts for up to 10 hours, although I do like to reapply, just because my skin is so sensitive to UVA/UNB rays right now/whenever I go on holiday. I bought this last year for my trip to Paris/France and it featured in my Holiday centric post last June (here) - although I don't think I did a follow up post for it, it really did its job. It protected my skin whilst I was walking around Paris all day in the wonderful sun, as well as when I was walking around various history/WWII related sites with my parents.
For application, I usually just stand in a pair of knickers (TMI, I know) and spray it on, section by section, making sure every part is well covered - this can be quite difficult as it is a clear spray - but I always go for the 'better do a bit more, just in case' approach, and it's served me well so far. Doing my back is always a tricky one, so I try to do my best, before calling my mum in to help, or in three weeks time, it'll be the boyfriend who'll have the wonderful task of applying it.
Some tips I've found are not to forget your feet, as they can catch quite easily if you're walking around - also the same can be said of your hands. So if you're eating/drinking/swimming just make sure to reapply just a little, just to keep your skin safe. One that quite a lot forget, is the scalp and nose, which can be easily rectified by just running a little bit of the SPF through the roots of your hair and pressing lightly onto the scalp - and also wearing a hat during the hottest parts of the day. For your face, such as your nose etc, this is a product you can use but I like to keep my face topped up with my La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL 50+ Facial SPF (I reviewed it last year, here) as I don't need any more redness in my cheeks, than there is already. Also, don't be afraid to reapply when you're by the pool/beach as I know some people can look at you and that's always off putting, but I'd rather they look at my well SPF'd skin than me looking like some sort of skin shedding lizard. Plus it's your holiday, you'll never see most of them ever again. What SPF's do you use on your holidays/when you're out in the sun?
Also, don't forget to wear an SPF daily on your face and exposed skin - your skin will thank you for it.
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