Pool Survival Guide

Summer is here, friends! I suppose it's not technically 'Summer' until June 20th, but it feels like it's arrived a month early here in the Commonwealth. Break out the bathing suits and shades! You can be certain that if it's a weekend and the sun is out, Paul and I are at the pool. Now, admittedly, I have a freakish obsession with where I sit at the pool. I wake up an hour earlier just to be certain that my towel and book are placed as a reserved sign on that one special chair I eyeball all winter long until the season finally arrives. I have always been this way. From Birmingham, Alabama to New Orleans, Louisiana to Washington, D.C.... the story remains the same. In fact, there is only one thing more important to me on these sunny, summer days than my pool chair, and that is sun protection! My beautiful friend, Lindsay, posted the article below on my page earlier this week and I instinctively shrieked when I read it! Playing to my obvious vanity, I was less concerned about the man's likelihood for developing skin cancer, and more upset that he looks like a stroke victim because of photo-aging from the sun. The sun, our best friend and worst enemy, has claimed this poor truck driver as another victim. The sun's UVA rays have done their worst. Free-radicals attack us every time we step out the door, causing inflammation in our skin, and in turn destroying the collagen and elastin that keep us looking beautiful and young. Since collagen and elastin can not repair themselves, once they are destroyed, that's all she wrote. Collagen and elastin production diminishes by 1% each year after we turn 30. Being 31, I'm painfully aware of this. Hope is not lost, however! While there is nothing we can do about the reduction of our 'youth cells' as I like to call them, we can give them a helping hand by taking some of the heat (not pun intended) off them. This is my pool survival guide to help you get the most out of your summer, without being trapped in doors with a nasty burn!

Start by wearing sunscreen every day. Yes, every day. 

Wear at least 30SPF (I recommend Dermalogica Solar Defense Booster for the face, and Coppertone Sport 30SPF for the body). Apply liberally and re-apply every 2 hours. A nice treat when it's hot out is to mist yourself with Dermalogica Multi-Active Toner. It restores the pH balance of your skin as well as refreshing makeup when it's been a long day at the office!

Next, be sure to always wear a hat and sunglasses! You should try to keep the sun off your face, if at all possible. If you don't have a hat, at least be sure to wear eye protection. The bigger the sunglasses, the better! If you can wear both, do so. 

I always bring a book to the pool with me. This was a suggestion from my friend, Rachel, and I can't put it down! If you like the writing style of Stephen King and a great crime drama, this is right up your ally.

Last, but certainly not least, you MUST drink water. Water is your body's best friend. Not only will you be dehydrated from the sun, but if you are enjoying an adult beverage, you will need to replenish! 

I truly believe that everything in moderation is a good thing. Especially the sun! I am not one of those Estheticians who hides inside all summer and walks around with an umbrella when it's sunny out. Granted, they will look WAY better than me when we are both 60, but I believe that life was made to live, so I'm going to live it to the fullest...

without a sunburn!

xoxo

G

 GRAPHIC IF YOUR BIGGEST FEAR IS WRINKLES