Sneaky Ways to Remember Your Sunscreen

by Aimee Amodio | More from this Blogger

27 May 2009 12:48 PM

Memorial Day has passed here in the States, and that means it's semi-officially summer! Sure, you can count June 21st as the official start of summer if you like, but the pool's open so it's summer to me! (Back home at the Jersey shore, Memorial Day is also the official start of the summer tourist season, so that's another good reason in my book.)

In fact, I'm planning to spend a good chunk of the afternoon lounging by the pool with a book. That means it's time for my annual nagging about wearing sunscreen!

I'll be the first to admit it: I don't wear sunscreen as often as I should. I've gotten burned more than once because I just wasn't thinking ahead. So here are some tips to help you (and me) protect your skin more often.

1. Make it a habit. Keep your sunscreen bottle next to your facial moisturizer and apply the former immediately after you apply the latter. They say it takes 21 days to make something into a habit, so be patient!
2. Or, combine the two. Buy a moisturizer that includes sunscreen, or just mix sunscreen into your favorite lotion. That's the route I went -- I mixed SPF 30 sunscreen into my regular lotion. Now I only have to apply one cream to my face and I'm protected!
3. Try other methods. Don't like the feel of a sunscreen cream? Hate that flip-top bottle? There are other choices out there, like sunscreen sprays and different applicators or caps. Make it easy for yourself -- don't give yourself the excuse of not liking some feature about your sunscreen.
4. Keep it handy. A small bottle of sunscreen (say 3 ounces, the approved travel size) doesn't take up much space in your purse, car, or backpack. If you have it nearby, you're more likely to remember to apply sunscreen! A one-ounce bottle is small enough to fit into a pocket or a sunglasses case.
5. Set a timer. Most of us have cell phones, and most cell phones come with an alarm clock function. Set a timer for every few hours to help you remember to reapply.

Are you a religious sunscreen wearer? Do you have any tricks to add to the list?

Learn more about Aimee Amodio

Aimee is a fiction writer... dog lover... music lover...

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