California Girls are Unforgettable and neither is Damaged Skin.

My friend recently told me the unthinkable; she said, “I don’t wear sunscreen”. To me, this is madness. We both live in an area of California that is exposed to a lot of sun and it is very easy to rock some crazy tan lines. Some of the most popular ones in the area are: the famer’s tan, the sock tan, the “I am super red but it will peel into a tan” tan and what I am rocking this year- the Birkenstocks tan lines.

I will admit, I disliked wearing sunscreen because I would always get sunscreen in my eyes (Don’t ask how, I still don’t understand how that happens) and I wanted to be tan. As I got older, I started to wear sunscreen more often because of my mom. She would always tell me, “the one thing I do regret, being your age, is wearing baby oil and not wearing sunscreen”. Sun exposure can cause age spots, skin discoloration, wrinkles and leathery textured skin (via HuffPost Style).

If you already wear sunscreen, then that is great. If you decide you want to wear sunscreen but do not know what products to buy, I personally love to use the Obagi Sun Shield Matte and the Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunscreen. The Obagi Sun Shield Matte feels super light, does not affect my sensitive skin and has a SPF 50. I also love the Neutrogena Ultimate Sport Sunscreen because you can spray it on and it is a 70+ SPF.

I know I am not a professional in this field, but there are multiple studies, available to the public, that has proven sunscreen does help protect you from UV rays. Another benefactor on wearing sunscreen, it can decrease your chances on getting skin cancer. There is video on YouTube called, “How the sun sees you” and it shows people what they look like through an ultraviolet camera. If you find sunscreen a “gimmick” then this is the video for you to watch.

Tans fade away, but damaged skin stays forever. For more information on why you should wear sunscreen, please check out the Skin Cancer Foundation and the American Cancer Society.