Gingers and Sunscreen: Don’t Leave Home Without It

I’m not fancy enough to have an American Express card so this blog is about sun protection.

I’ve been a redhead all my life, and I’m old enough to remember coming home from playing outside all day (Xbox hadn’t been invented) and having sun blisters on my shoulders. My mom would walk me upstairs, sit me on the top of the toilet, light a match, heat up a needle and poke the blister to release the “goo.”

There was no preventing sun blisters other than wearing full-on winter clothes in the hot humid Chicago summers.

In college I remember laying out on the quad, lathering up, using Coppertone bronzing oil or baby oil.

We didn’t know any better.

Having a tan made you look healthy. Little did we know that although the outside looked good the inside could be cooking up a disaster.

Being a redhead it is even more important for me to either stay out of the sun or to protect myself from it. I spend a lot of time outside so I needed to find the right sunscreen and lip balm that didn’t react to my skin and stayed on when I sweat.

I have been using Banana Boat Ultra Sport Sunscreen Lotion, Broad Spectrum SPF 30 for years. It is creamy but not greasy. It doesn’t have a fragrance and actually seems to moisten my skin rather than dry it out. I use this on my body and my face and I have never broken out or swelled up like I have from other products in the past (what a nightmare).

Don’t forget your lips, they’re just as important. It is so easy to just pop a tube of lip protection in your pocket or get one that you can wear around your neck. I found that Blistex Medicated Lip Balm, SPF 15, works the best. Others have a strange taste or a waxy application. Just remember to re-apply, and do it often.

Make this part or your daily routine or at least a routine you stick to when you are going to be outdoors. Even when it is not sunny out you WILL still get burned. I know this from personal experience.

If you don’t wear a hat or if you take it off for long boat runs you should make sure you get your hairline. Make sure you check to see if you have a bald spot -- Right Pete? I’m thinking your visor days are over. I don’t like wearing sun gloves, can’t seem to find the right fit, so I have to make sure that I don’t wash my hands after I apply sunscreen or my hands will get burned from holding the fishing rod all day. I have noticed that any body part that has a crease or fold, like your armpit or behind your knee, is more susceptible to the sun for some reason.

Find one what works with your skin. Find one that has travel sizes so there is no excuse not to bring them along for re-application.

When it is really hot out I store mine in the cooler so when I re-apply the cold feels so good on the hot skin. If it feels good, you’ll do it more often, so that’s all part of the game. Make it part of your routine to do it first thing in the morning and then to reapply regularly. Otherwise the results could be ugly – even though all gingers are beautiful (and yes, we have souls).