Sunscreen, Your True Summer BFF

Laying out in the sun season is upon us. I know that's all I do during the summer because I hate swimming, water, and anything that could possibly get my hair wet or water on my eyelashes. I also might just be a terribly weak swimmer and doggy-paddling while my younger cousins dive and swim like mermaids around me is a real ego destroyer. Because of all of this, I've sworn myself to land for the rest of eternity. The trouble with this is that the sun can be a big, hot, scary thing if you don't protect yourself against it accordingly.

Want to know what's worse than a really terrible sunburn during the summer? Just about nothing. We've all gotten badly burned at least once in our life, but more accurately, at least once a summer. Sometimes we think we're stronger than the sun and don't need to do anything to protect ourselves from its rays. And let me tell you, that is some damn foolish thinking right there. The sun will burn you to a crisp without thinking twice about it. The sun might even laugh in the face of anybody who thinks they're stronger than the sun, their skin impenetrable by UV light rays.

Anybody can get sunburned if they're outside long enough. If you have a tan, you can still get burned. If you naturally have more pigment to your skin, you can still get burned. And if you're pale AF like me, you will most certainly get burned even with sunscreen after a long period of time. It's inevitable, truly, but it's still in your good interest to protect yourself against it.

Sunscreen is not for babies, it's not for children. I laugh in the face of people who say they don't need sunscreen because it's girly or childish. You are not more powerful than the sun. The naïveté of some people is absolutely mind-blowing. Sunscreen takes about two seconds to apply if you use the handy-dandy spray bottle version. It takes another two seconds to reapply two hours later, and so on so forth. You can't just put one layer of sunscreen on your body five minutes before you're going outside and then stay outside in the blistering sun for six hours without reapplying. You will be burnt to a crisp and there's no one to blame but yourself. Trust me, I've made all of these mistakes in my 21 years of getting one bad, blistering sunburn at least once a summer. 

Really, I can't think of any reasons to not wear sunscreen. Maybe it's just me and my family health history, but I'm constantly terrified of any form of cancer. I monitor the moles on my body and any spots that show up after a bad sunburn (or were they there the whole time?!?!). I'm so paranoid about the idea of skin cancer that taking a minute out of my day to make sure that my skin is protected when I go out into the sun is not a hassle in the slightest. 

Also, have you ever tried to sleep or dress with a bad sunburn? Bras? Impossible. I don't like to wear bras anyways but you physically cannot wear a bra without every strap digging into your sunburn, a feeling skin to being stabbed I assume. And then sleeping is just not a thing. If you're burnt on your stomach, sleeping on your back is a pain and vice versa. The worst is when you burn both and you have to decide what position hurts the least. Sometimes you even consider the option of sleeping standing up much like horses do or potentially hanging from your legs on the ceiling like a bat. You'll do anything when your body is burned and everything you do is extremely uncomfortable.

So, in conclusion, wear your sunscreen guys. All of the time. Even if it's somewhat overcast or partly cloudy. It's not going to hurt you to wear sunscreen when you might not need it. However, it is going to hurt you if you choose not to wear it and are exposed to long bouts of sunshine. Buddy up with your favorite brand of sunscreen and use it liberally all summer. Your skin will thank you forever and ever.