i’m back w a new edition of toiletry tuesday!: recommend sun protection for mama and baby.

living in denver, we’ve got both high altitude and consistent sun (on average, 300 days out of the year!). higher altitude means stronger UV rays, not bc you’re closer to the sun–as i’ve heard been said– but bc the atmosphere is thinner and so absorbs less UV rays than a lower altitude w denser atmosphere. (interesting read: what factors determine UV strength.) so these geographic reasons, coupled with the facts that skin cancer runs in my family and my fair skin and blue eyes makes me prone to sunburn, i’ve really learned the importance of protecting my skin from those harmful rays. (i can also thank my mother for this as she was the one who constantly told me how beautiful my pale skin and blue eyes are while also firmly reminding me that pale skin and blue eyes mixed w my family’s history of skin cancer are no joking matter. she was never amused when she saw me slathering on tanning oil at the beach, knowing well before i did that i was kidding myself if i thought it would turn me into a dark brown goddess. ha.)

shown above are my daily go-tos for sun protection for my daughter and i. in the list below, i’ve also mentioned some items not pictured. what i have here is not the end all be all of sun protection but so far, for us, it’s proven pretty darn effective.

1. on my face i use neutrogena ultra-sheer sunblock || 2. for ramona, all over, i use neutrogena pure & free sunscreen || 3. lip trip by mountain ocean is my go-to for lip protection (runner up is the sun bum lip balm) || 4. i never leave home without my straw cloche || 5. all over, for me, is sun bum’s SPF 50 moisturizing sunscreen lotion || 6. sunglasses! jasper by warby parker || 7. neutrogena’s pure & free sunscreen stick makes it easy for me to thoroughly get ramona’s face and ears covered. || not pictured: a bonnet and a rash guard for ramona.

important things to remember when protecting yourself from the sun:

1. use sunscreen that says “broad spectrum” on it. this will protect from both UVA and UVB rays. || 2. sunscreen w SPFs of greater than 50 generally aren’t doing much more than the 50 does. || 3. sunscreens aren’t ever really totally water resistent. you should be reapplying at least every 80 minutes, certainly more if in the water or toweling off or after major sweating. || 4. you should be applying at least a golf ball size amount of sun screen every time || 5. spray sunscreens are less effective in that people tend to apply less sunscreen to their skin, even if they feel they are getting full coverage || 6. avoid the sun between the hours of 10:00 and 2:00. || 7. don’t forget the hats, sunglasses, and cover-ups!