My New Best Friend

Quite a few years back I was admiring my mother's beauty, specifically her skin. Despite her being 30 years older than I, I could not help but appreciate how smooth and healthy it appeared. I asked her how is it that although she was well over 40 at the time and much of her hair had greyed as a result of her working over a decade on 3rd shift (not to mention raising us 5 kids), her skin was in such great condition! Her response: "You start doing something about it when you're 30!"

For whatever reason, these "words of wisdom" stuck with me. I have read and ignored too many times the admonition to take great care when it comes to your skin, particularly that of one's face. Consequently, as the heart and great heat of summer approached and as a natural compliment to my already proactive approach towards my health and overall well-being, I decided not to wait until I was 30 to start "doing something about it." I would begin now.

Somewhere along the way, I had read about Olay's moisturizer with SPF. As with any beauty product, I checked out the reviews. Amazon.com usually has very helpful consumer reviews for all sorts of products. The only complaints that Olay's moisturizer had were when they changed their formula. Once they changed it back, triumphant reviews followed. So, I decided I would start my new beauty regimen with that.

I purchased Olay's Complete All Day UV Moisturizer with SPF 15 for Combination/Oily Skin for roughly $10. I have worn it every day since and have been quite pleased with the outcome. Not only does it provide the necessary protection from the sun, but the moisturizing component works great without being greasy. It absorbs well and has not caused any breakouts. Concerning the SPF, it does it's job. For example, on July 4th, I was out in the sun for no more than 2 hours and had only applied the moisturizer to my face with no additional SPF. My shoulders and arms burned; my face did not. I need no further convincing.

Henceforth, I will continue to use this product religiously. You do not need to dispense a lot of the product with each use, so the $10 will go a long way - a small price to pay for healthy, young looking skin.

Whether Olay's moisturizing sunscreen is for you or not, I would encourage you, reader, to not wait any longer to take matters into your own hands with regards to your skin's health. Earlier this year, a dear friend of mine was discovered to have a nasty stage 2 melanoma that needed to be removed. Thankfully, everything went smoothly, and said person is doing just fine. Nevertheless, you always think it could never be you until it's too late. Why risk it, especially when prevention is so easy?

Another great SPF product that won't break your bank is Walgreen's Sunscreen. At 2/$5 for 3 oz., you can't beat the price. It goes on well and is not greasy, and it comes in varying degrees of protection - SPF 15, 30, 50, and even 70+. It is available as normal sunscreen or "Sport" with water and sweat resistance.  If you prefer spray over cream, they have that, too, but at a slightly higher price. I have been using this product for the last 2 summers and have no complaints.

So there you have it! No room for excuses! My final words are taken from a recent tweet by Chalene Johnson, "Treat your body like a temple, not a trashcan." Guaranteed, you'll be more than happy with the results.