If you’re anything like me, when someone tells me that I have to do something because it’s good for me, my brain immediately goes “ugh!…thanks for giving me another chore!” Adding sun protection activities into your routine can feel that. I get it!
I was diagnosed with melanoma at 26 years old, and sun protection has been a necessity and part of my life since that time (12 years and counting!). We know that sun protection is important, but do we do it all the time. No, we don’t. Perfection isn’t practical.
Even with a history of skin cancer, I will fully admit that I don’t wear sunscreen every day. Somedays it’s too hard. Somedays I hate that I “have” to think about. But for my family and my daughter, I do “have” to think about. My life is bigger than just me.
This realization hit me hard after I was diagnosed. I realized that I was like most people, in that I knew very little about how the sun impacts our skin and bodies. Once I learned more, and learned that I essentially gave myself cancer by using tanning beds and baking in the sun, I knew that my life calling was simply to talk about it and tell my story.
It doesn’t have to scary or taboo, and it doesn’t have to be a chore or something you hate. You don’t have to be perfect or all-or-nothing.
Sun protection can be as easy as simply making one small change to your daily routine, or stepping into the shade 5 minutes earlier than you normally would have, or grabbing a light jacket or scarf when you’re out for a walk.
Think of it as your skin’s piggybank. The sun can damage the DNA in our skin cells, and that damage isn’t repairable and accumulates over the years. Every moment outside is a choice, you can choose to keep more healthy DNA in the piggybank or to give some of it away. I value my skin’s piggybank and choose my expenses wisely. I’m not perfect, and spend some of my healthy DNA by taking a few more moments in the sun or going for walk when I know that I don’t have sunscreen on…and that’s OK.
The first step toward any healthy change is first simply being aware of it. The more you bring that choice forward to your conscious thought, the more likely you are to start to incorporate it into your daily routine.
“Consciousness is the birthplace of change.” – Anonymous
My challenge to you this week is to think about protecting your skin from the sun just one time. Yup, I said it, just ONE TIME this week bring the idea of sun protection to your awareness. You don’t even have to do anything in response to it, the challenge is to just think about it in the moment.
Click here to get my full guide with all of my favorite sun safe products. I’ve tested a lot of products, and these are my go-to’s.
Founder of Shoulders With Freckles and SUMMERSKIN, as well as a Pharmacist, Melanoma Survivor & Mom.
