If you’re hanging out on the beach on the East Coast or taking over the ski slopes on the West Coast for winter break, you must protect your skin.  Sunscreen is the last thing I want to put on my body: it can smell, feel gross, and all of the above.  However, it’s a necessity.  My dad is a dermatologist, so I’ve been taught from a very young age that wearing sunscreen on a hot sunny day is crucial – especially for people who have fair skin.

My dad sells his own line of products, but when I asked him what the best over the counter sunscreen is, he said the Neutrogena Age Shield SPF 90 with Helioplex.  This sunscreen is known for best overall protection and as you can see, the UV protection is clearly a plus with SPF 90. One of the reasons that this sunscreen is liked is because it has helioplex.  As said on futurederm.com, helioplex is a stabilized, patented combination of oxybenzone and avobenzone that has been demonstrated in clinical tests to provide longer-lasting UVA protection than most other sunscreens.  If you want an inexpensive sunscreen ($9.95 on amazon.com) that will provide overall sun protection, this Neutrogena product will do the trick.

If you’re one of those people who just won’t put on sunscreen (sometimes I’m like that), protect yourself with some fashionable clothing/accessories.  Put on a cute fedora -they’re so in-, some oversized sunglasses (Nicole Richie would be proud), and a cute bathing suit coverup when you’re not in the water.  For those of you on the slopes, you’re already covered with ski gear, so you want to focus on covering your face.  Any form of protection is a plus, but sunscreen is of course the best.

Put on your sunscreen and fashionable “protection pieces”, and you’ll be ready for a day in the sun.