Summer 2012

Those of you who have seen me lately, should know that I am fairly tan. I mean, I don't look like a Latina or anything, but compared to the usual me, I am tan. Which is normal. I do usually tan. I have my entire life. I am PROUD to say, however, that I have NEVER, NOT ONCE used a tanning bed in my WHOLE life. My tans are from the sun.

Anyway, even though I do tan, I also burn. A lot. Usually just on my face and shoulders though. Which is so so so so so unhealthy. This year, I haven't worn sunscreen anywhere on my body except my face, once. Which is SO bad.

Hello, Skin Cancer! 

So, next year [and the rest of this year] I am making many changes to my summer skin care routine. I have no interest in developing melanoma or looking wrinkly and leathery at age 30 all because I want to have a darker skin tone two and a half months out of the year. How stupid could I possibly get??? How stupid could you possibly get???

So, my changes for next year include the following: 

Kind of like this one. Probably not pink though! 

I am buying a hat!!! A cute hat. A cute wide-brimmed beach hat! I look cute in hats. I'm literally SO excited! Not only will my hat protect my face [which is so important, I love my summer-time freckles, but they're a sign of skin damage] but it will also protect my shoulders and my HAIR! I HATE when my hair fades in the summer! So, with my hat I will be protecting [haha... funny] THREE birds with one stone! 

An array of sunscreens for your viewing pleasure!

I'm investing in a good quality 30 SPF sunscreen. Actually, two of them. One for my face and one for my body. Oh! And one for your lips! They need protection too! [Burt's Bee's works.] I'll use the one for my face all year round, and the one for my body only when I expect large amounts of sun exposure and anytime during the summer [then I'll have to re-apply throughout the day]. Head-to-toe coverage will be my aim! It'll be a pain, but my skin will thank me! I'm not sure on a brand yet, so I'm sorry. Not that you really care, Frederick. Haha. ♥

For those of you who WANT to be tan, use a self tanner. It's safe and a lot healthier. My mom uses Toma's Tan Self-Tanning Lotion. {But it at Sally Beauty Supply.] It legitimately works. You put it all over your body, [wear gloves or you will have orange hands and fingernails] and let it dry. You WILL be orange, but no worries, it washes off. They put a dye in the lotion so you can see where you have and haven't rubbed the lotion it. It keeps you from getting an uneven, streaky tan. [Genius. A woman invented that.]  My mom puts it on before she goes to bed and sleeps in it. Then, when she takes a shower the next morning, ta-da! She's tan! But, she does it several days in a row. 

SO darling! I would wear this, to be honest. 

For those day that I DO go swimming, or I wear a swimsuit, I'm possibly switching to a tankini. [Or like the above picture, a more modest bikini.] Maybe... I haven't quite decided on this one yet. It would be weird. I'll definitely NOT go back to one pieces. They are WAY too hard to get on and off. But, my tummy burns a lot. And it's very uncomfortable! So if I could find a cute one that covered my tummy [no one wants to see that anyway] it is possible I would buy one. 

A DECENT pair of sunglasses would be LOVELY too. Aviators are my favorite. Tortoise shell is my favorite color!  I already have terrible eyesight. I can see about six inches in front of my face clearly. Farther than that, it's all blurry. So, sun damage to my eyes is VERY unwanted. I also burn underneath of my eyes very easily. It's so painful! And it will cause wrinkles and puffiness under my eyes. Ew! The sunglasses should be HUGE. They shoulder cover my eyebrows and the tops of my cheek bones. All the skin under your eyes is vulnerable and very thin. So, I will be buying sunglasses and wearing them ALL year round. You can get sun damage in the winter!  I only have one set of eyes. Gotta keep 'em good. I'm only seventeen, you know. 

I spend a lot of time just sitting in the sun, so an umbrella is an easy fix to that! I can sit outside, drink my sweet tea, and enjoy the warm weather without having the sun beating down on my precious skin! Plus, you can buy beach umbrellas that are totally ADORABLE! And I loooove adorable things! The umbrella should be light colors. Light colors reflect sunlight, and dark colors absorb it. It'll keep you cooler. 

I MUST buy this! It has my boo's name on it! And it's water! 

DRINK WATER! I've already given up soda, and my precious energy drinks. And actually, to be honest, I don't miss them at all. I cannot, however, give up my precious sweet tea, or my occasional coffee. But I have found an alternative that I can drink more often to those things: 

1. Water [duh.] I dare you to drink ONLY water for a WHOLE week. You'll fall in love. 

Passion tea! Don't sweeten it. 

2. Iced green teas, or any other tea [Tazo is my favorite brand] you brew at home. 

Passion is a really yummy fruity flavor that doesn't require ANY sweetener 

if you are a fan of the sweet stuff! It's SO good! And it's a pretty pink color! 

So yeah! I hope you enjoyed yet another health-nut rant of mine! Maybe it'll inspire you to take better care of your skin, and bring pasty back!