Staying safe in the SUN!

Hello friends!! I feel like its been awhile since i've written a blog post. I promise to get more consistent! After a few rainy & gloomy months here on Oahu, the sun is FINALLY starting to come out! It seems like going to the beach is all I can think about lately and I never thought I would be THAT kind of person, the beach bum with an extreme addiction to the sun, water, and sand between the toes. But, here I am. 

Even though I am probably the Sun's biggest fan, I am SUPER careful to always practice SAFE-SUN so that I don't get sun damage. You see, skin cancer runs HEAVILY in my family. My mom has gotten skin cancer so many times I can't even count it on one hand. My dear friend died of Melanoma in his twenties. I couldn't believe it. People often talk about breast cancer or lung cancer or prostate cancer but people don't often talk about skin cancer. I'm here to tell you that skin cancer is a BIG DEAL and you want to protect your precious skin from it at all costs! 

Other than cancer itself, the sun can cause irreparable damage to your skin! The sun is the #1 premature ager for skin and can cause sun spots, wrinkles, etc! 

I don't want to be ALLLL negative, though. The sun actually has some pretty amazing benefits too!! Getting sun exposure is actually crucial to your health! Vitamin D is an incredible vitamin that our body NEEDS for immunity, hormone balance, digestion, etc! FULL DISCLOSURE: I believe in the benefits of the sun so much that I'm all about laying in the without sunscreen on for 10-15 minutes to get all the GOOD UV rays on my body. After that, though, I slather on the sunscreen & can enjoy the rest of my time in the sun knowing that I am protecting my skin! 

Here's a couple of my SAFE-SUN tips!!!

1. ALWAYS wear a hat. Please, for the love of everything good, wear a hat!! The skin on our face is much thinner and more sensitive than other places on our body. Another one of my dear friends just had to get surgery on the corner of her EYE because of skin cancer. By wearing a hat (& a good quality SPF on your face) you are not only protecting your skin from cancer, but also from sun spots! 

2. Don't just use spray sunscreen, lotion sunscreen is where it's at! I only purchase high-quality sunscreens with minimal chemicals and healthy benefits for your skin! Most spray sunscreens have many harmful ingredients that you really don't want anywhere near you! Because of that, I normally stick to lotion sunscreens! Not only do they add a thicker layer of protection to your skin but they also have vitamins that go back in your skin to help nourish it even more! This one is my absolute favorite. I also just bought the new Pacifica spray sunscreen from Target! I haven't tried it yet but I am excited about trying a non-toxic spray option! 

3. Re-apply every two hours! I know that sounds so elementary but it is vital. You can't just apply sunscreen once and think you are fine. Reapply every time you get out of the water or as soon as your skin starts to feel "tingly" like it can feel in the sun on it! 

4. Remember that this will ALL be worth it in twenty years. I have to end with this tip because I know so many people who goto tanning booths and just day "oh well, i'll pay for it later I guess". DON'T DO THAT! If someone told you that you could eat a certain way to avoid all types of cancer, would you do it? The same goes with your skin! YOU are in control of how you treat your skin and so treat with with love & kindness & protection! I'm saying all of this with the utmost love because I care about every single person who reads this blog and I don't want you to go through what I have seen some of my loved ones go through. <3 

I hope you love these safe-sun tips! Do you have any others? Comment them down below! I'd love to hear them! :) 

xo,

Lauren