Sunscreen can be something that makes or breaks your vacation. Take it from me, there is nothing worse than getting to your vacation destination and on the first day burning yourself to an excruciating crisp. When I was a kid, I went on vacation with my family to an island called Barbados, which is miles away from South America. It was February when we went, so let's just say I was less than pale.
My first decision was to not wear sunscreen, so that I could get some sun and get a decent base tan. Not in my wildest dreams (or nightmares) would I expect to get as burned as I did in that short of a time period. Within the first 12 hours, I was burned the worst I have ever been in my whole life. Unmovable burn to the point where you do not really enjoy living.
With my own experience I have learned not to mess with the sun. It is very rarely nice to you. I am Italian with relatively dark skin and I still paid a large price for my insolence. I thought I could get away with no sunscreen, but now I know it is absolutely crucial to wear sunscreen when first going into the sun after being in a cave all winter.
Something I did not know about sunscreen was that you were not supposed to treat it like lotion. My friend's father was a doctor, and told me that in order for sunscreen to work at its best, you have to create a physical barrier between the sun and your skin. Not to say you should lather yourself with enough to resemble Casper the friendly ghost, but you are essentially supposed to have it so you can feel the liquid on your skin.
All of these things are essential when on vacation. Knowing them is half the battle, but doing them before the sun hurts you is just as important. I always thought I could beat the sun without sunscreen, and I paid a pretty hefty price and will not be making that same mistake again.
My first decision was to not wear sunscreen, so that I could get some sun and get a decent base tan. Not in my wildest dreams (or nightmares) would I expect to get as burned as I did in that short of a time period. Within the first 12 hours, I was burned the worst I have ever been in my whole life. Unmovable burn to the point where you do not really enjoy living.
With my own experience I have learned not to mess with the sun. It is very rarely nice to you. I am Italian with relatively dark skin and I still paid a large price for my insolence. I thought I could get away with no sunscreen, but now I know it is absolutely crucial to wear sunscreen when first going into the sun after being in a cave all winter.
Something I did not know about sunscreen was that you were not supposed to treat it like lotion. My friend's father was a doctor, and told me that in order for sunscreen to work at its best, you have to create a physical barrier between the sun and your skin. Not to say you should lather yourself with enough to resemble Casper the friendly ghost, but you are essentially supposed to have it so you can feel the liquid on your skin.
All of these things are essential when on vacation. Knowing them is half the battle, but doing them before the sun hurts you is just as important. I always thought I could beat the sun without sunscreen, and I paid a pretty hefty price and will not be making that same mistake again.
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