SPF. Stay Pretty Forever.

Okay so maybe SPF actually stands for “Sun Protection Factor”, but technically “Stay Pretty Forever” works too. Did you know the leading cause of aging skin is from Sun Damage!? Ugh, I know, it crushed my heart too. Apparently there is no such thing as having a “healthy glow” from sun exposure.. how lame.

-Why Wearing SPF Daily Is ESSENTIAL-

You NEED protection from the sun. Plain and simple. Not only do you need SPF, which protects you from UVB rays, but you want to make sure your SPF is a "Broad Spectrum Sunscreen" as well, which protects you from UVA rays. Ultraviolet rays… ohhhh those bittersweet little UV rays. It breaks my heart to know that the rays that give me a beautiful golden exotic glow are the same ones that cause premature skin aging, wrinkles and even worse, SKIN CANCER! What a tease. Lets break this down. There are two types of UV rays that are our enemies: UVB (Ultraviolet Burning) and then UVA (Ultraviolet Aging). I’m not going to lie, when I found out that the “A” stood for “Aging” I wanted to pass out. I was just hopping in tanning beds aka evil aging chambers willingly like “HEYYY! Hook a sista up with a couple years!, will ya!?” Like seriously, what the fuck. Anyways. Sunlight is energy and both UVA and UVB rays are absorbed and reflected by the skin. UVA wavelengths penetrate deeper into the skin and are the dominant cause of wrinkling and aging. Here is a fun fact: tanning beds use UVA light and have 12 times the dosage of the sun. This means that every time you tan, you are getting 12 times the amount of damage and aging. (I’m sorry for lying, that was not a fun fact, that was actually the worst fact ever). Although UVB wavelengths don’t penetrate as deep into the skin, they are more powerful and are the main cause of sunburns, aging and skin cancers.

People are often led to believe that they only need to apply sunscreen when it’s hot out and they plan on being outside for hours. Not true. I mean ya, you definitely need some sun protection if those are your plans obviously, but you need it so much more often than that! UV rays are just as active in the winter as they are in the summer. You can catch UV rays through your car window on your way to work or even during a snow storm. They’re sneaky and powerful little bitches. The problem is, our minds are so stuck in only associating sun concerns with summer, that we fail to protect ourselves the other 75% of the year! One in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime and so much can be prevented with education and action. It’s serious shit and far too often ignored.

What now!?

I know. This sucks. I’m a naturally fairly light complected person and I have black hair… I’d like to NOT look like I’m about to crawl out of someones TV screen in the middle of the night. However, PRIORITIES ladies (maybe even gents). Get it together. Either embrace the pale or get yourself some self tanner or a spray tan because in 20 years when you’re walking around looking like a brown leather couch and spending loads of money on treatments trying to rewind the time or worse, laying in a hospital bed, you will be wishing you protected yourself.

Unless it’s summer, I only apply SPF to my face and neck daily. Those are my areas that are most exposed all year round. It’s really convenient to have make up that already has SPF in it and also great to have a face moisturizer with an SPF to apply before your makeup as well! I have some amazing Natural Makeup and Skin Care line recommendations that both make AMAZING products with SPF so feel free to “Contact” me if you need any recommendations!

Peace. Love & SPF!