I Love The Sun But...
... a girl's gotta protect herself from the sun. Well, even boys, too!
I do not know if it is just me being maarte but in the last few months, Manila had what was truly been the yuckiest, most humid, annoying weather on top of the usual skin-penetrating sunshine.
Ever.
*raise your hands if you feel the same* As if the sun beating upon us is not enough, the humidity has been up to the roof it truly made me think of filing for LOA at work and just hibernating in my room for the next three months {as if that was possible, I have ADD!}.
I realize I am berating the sun so much that I forget to mention I like it more than storm season. Promise.
Every single day, I would summon the courage to face the day and braving the outdoors {the Manila jungle, that is} before heading out of my house. It has taken me so much longer than it used to because:
a. Is body lotion really necessary? Ugh. Yes. If I don't, I'd get bad rashes once my skin dries up.
b. Why ever SPF bottle I own seems to be really sticky when applied on the skin?
Some five years ago, I would've chucked my regular routine altogether, I would've just applied lotion after my daily drive to the office but with the ozone layer getting more and more depleted, this option does not seem doable at all. As evidenced by this blog, I am thoroughly vain. The thought of me with wrinkly skin when I reach my 50s is a wee bit really scary. Besides, Baz Luhrman is always reminding us:
If I could offer you only one tip for the future, sunscreen would be it. The long-term benefits of sunscreen have been proved by scientists, whereas the rest of my advice has no basis more reliable than my own meandering experience. I will dispense this advice now.
Enjoy the power and beauty of your youth. Oh, never mind. You will not understand the power and beauty of your youth until they’ve faded. But trust me, in 20 years, you’ll look back at photos of yourself and recall in a way you can’t grasp now how much possibility lay before you and how fabulous you really looked. You are not as fat as you imagine.
One of my 'old favorites' that I keep coming to is
Nivea Sunblock SPF 50
{I really don't know the official name}. I remember discovering this some five years ago {because I was working then, I have been trying different brands} and back then, the smell was much stronger. The thing with it was that it was not as heavy as say, normal sunscreens {sometimes, higher SPF means oilier}, that we are forced to stick with lower SPF sunscreens and go through the hassle of reapplication.
What I love with the seemingly new formula is that the scent is not as overpowering as it was half a decade ago, it doesn't dry out my skin, enough for me to take my time in getting to the office {SPF 35 makes me rush for fear of wearing out the sun-blocking powers} and I don't have to apply again in the office because by the time it wears out, the sun isn't as strong as it is in noon.
Do you use sunscreen regularly, too {I hope!} Which one?