This weekend I went to the pool. The sun was so hot, it started to mess with my mind. At one point I thought I saw a mirage of Aiden from SATC. I had on a baseball cap, sunglasses, and SPF 50 on my face. As an adult, I've had to educate myself on the effects of sun exposure. Growing up, the winter was my concern. Cold weather and wind meant extremely dry and ashy skin.
The skin of African-Americans has been calculated to be the equivalent of a SPF 13 sunscreen. While African American women are 20 times less likely to have melanoma due to the extra melanin in our skin, it can be more deadly. Melanoma is normally diagnosed at a later stage of the disease, which unfortunately results in a much lower survival rate.
I don't count on my skin tone or genes alone to protect me from the effects of the sun. Since I'm most concerned about my face, my daily routine includes Eucerin Face Lotion SPF 30 in the summer, and Cetaphil SPF 15 in the winter. I also use MAC Mineralize Foundation SPF 15, and when I'm at the pool or beach, I use MAC Primer SPF 50.
Remember......the sun still has aging effects!!!!!! So regardless of your skin tone, SUNSCREEN IS A MUST!!!!! So lather up!!!!!
No comments:
Post a Comment