The tale of the cocky everyday sunscreener
There have been certain decisions throughout my life that reaffirm my worthiness of the title ‘adult’. Replacing the kitchen sponge in a timely manner. Taking the trash out before getting to the classic shove-with-the-top-paper-towel-to-get-a-bit-more-room stage. Buying really nice cookware, which ideally should last a lifetime. I mean $400 for a single pot or pan, it has to be good. Or perhaps you’re more financially successful than me, and a $400 price tag doesn’t warrant the bat of an eyelash, let alone entitle you to an adulthood initiation. But for me, it’s a borderline ‘bury me with my Le Creuset collection’ kind of investment. And I say ‘collection’ because they all match. That’s right, I didn’t purchase whichever random gaudy color was on sale. I chose the one I actually liked and wanted, which ironically is the color that apparently never goes on sale. I digress.
My most recent adult-like purchase was dropping over $100 on nice sunscreen to slather all over my face every single day. Yes, you read that right. Every. damn. day. The not so pretty side of becoming an adult is that all those reckless childlike decisions you made in your teens and 20’s start showing their consequences all over your face. And being the responsible adult that I am, I’ve decided to follow my dermetologist’s recommendation to wear sunscreen every day — even on days that are not sunny. Despite the fact it took me three solid decades to finally become a responsible sunscreened adult, this advice is not new, and you certainly don’t need to see a dermatologist to know you should be wearing sunscreen daily. As long as you haven’t been living under a rock I’m sure you’ve heard this all before — but side note; if you have been living under a rock you probably have amazing skin due to lack of sun exposure!
Fast forward to the present day, a solid year later in my everyday sunscreen journey. I’ve been living in Florida (long story) and decided to take a trip to the beach. Before you even ask, yes of course I had my daily sunscreen slathered all over my face, and I’m usually an avid applicator of full-body sunscreen when outdoors as well. But not today. My daily sunscreen-wearing ass got all cocky.
All of the typical adolescent excuses ran through my head. What’s the point of applying when I’m just about to take a dip? I’ll slather it on once the sun dries off the saltwater. Well, now I don’t really need it because it’s really becoming quite overcast.
Idiot.
It was a perfect storm when it comes to sunburn-inducing conditions. Just enough cloud cover to make you feel safe, protected. Just enough cool breeze to combat the usual alarm-provoking heat when the sun decided to poke out. And just enough UV rays to burn my ass to a crisp.
Well if we’re being completely honest ‘burned to a crisp’ is definitely an added dramatization for theatrical value. Thankfully it’s not that bad of a burn. Not that lobster-red, throbbing hot to the touch kind of burn (not that I’ve been smart enough to avoid that kind of burn in the past — oh no, I’m all too familiar with that burn that’s so bad you can’t sleep but you’re in too much pain to even toss and turn in your bed so your mind starts to wonder if you should perhaps be admitted to the burn ward). Not that kind of burn, but a burn nonetheless.
Moral of the story: wear sunscreen, all over your body, every single day.
The end.