As much as I love sunny weather, a little part of me is always sad to see the clouds parting. Warmer weather means fewer clothes, and fewer clothes means more of my skin is exposed to the burning, evil, cancerous rays of the sun.
And this all, of course, means one thing: sunscreen.
The extreme heat this past weekend was a big reminder of the applying and reapplying that must be endured until October. Being of European descent, my complexion is pale: Five minutes in the sun is enough to turn me pink. See me after I walk all the way to class, and you’re looking at a lobster ““ don’t even try to spend a day at the beach.
But if there is one thing my years under the sun (and my years as an avid reader of beauty magazines) has taught me, it’s that a good sunscreen is worth any price. And once you find your brand, buy the entire shelf, because drugstores run out during the summer.
The hardest part about finding a sunscreen is finding one that works for your face: one that will truly go on invisible. Most face sunscreens still left my skin looking oily or made me break out, so I didn’t want to put them on every morning. But the face is the most important thing to protect because it’s the first thing people see. You can spend lots of money on a super nice summer outfit, but your red and blotchy face will still be in all the pictures. And people don’t crop out faces. Plus, there is always the issue of premature aging when it comes to sun damage, so wear a hat while you’re at it. Your 40-year-old self will thank you.
So after a long and desperate search, a few years ago, I finally found Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Cream, SPF 55. I was first attracted to the product because of its bright blue and orange bottle, its free gift with purchase, and its SPF 55 rating: I’d never seen higher than 50 before. And I know (from magazines) that most people say anything over SPF 30 doesn’t make a difference, but this was a whole 25 SPFs higher, so I was sold. At first, I found the cream was a little difficult to spread, but this just caused me to use more (never a bad thing). Once on, the cream completely disappeared ““ except for its effectiveness. I’ve put it on most every morning since.
For my arms, neck and shoulders, I use Ocean Potion Anti-Aging Ultra Light sunblock in SPF 50 ““ it also comes in SPF 30 for the non-believers. This sunscreen not only comes in a light purply pink bottle, but it smells like orange sherbert. This is a sunscreen, though, that you need to buy in bulk in the beginning of the summer ““ or now.
Two summers ago when I was at home in San Diego giving swimming lessons, my local Longs Drugs ran out of Ocean Potion in July and wasn’t going to get another shipment that summer. And poolside, it is especially necessary to put on sunscreen, as the water reflects the sunlight to create an attack from all angles. I think I bought four bottles the next time I saw them at a swimmer supply store.
Sunscreen, of course, doesn’t do anything for you if it stays in the bottle. But what I’ve found is that only the sunscreens that aren’t right for you don’t get used. If the smell of your sunscreen is bothersome, try a new one. If it’s ineffective, get a higher SPF. There is a whole sunscreen industry out there just trying to hook you, so give them a chance. Remember: Your skin is on the line.
If you wouldn’t be caught dead wearing a sun hat, e-mail Crocker at acrocker@media.ucla.edu.