Sunscreen On My Shoulders

Sorry, John Denver, for borrowing your song. But that is what I am reminded of every summer when sunscreen season rolls around.

Because I am a rather fair-skinned person, I can choose either to wear sunscreen most any time I go out in the sun for any length of time or to burn pretty quickly when I go out unprotected. Obviously, I usually choose sunscreen, except when I forget to put it on, and it usually works well for me.

That is, it works well when I can keep it out of my eyes. For some reason, no matter how careful I try to be, eventually the sunscreen seems to somehow run down my face and into my eyes. Sometimes, it is several hours after I have put it on. Sometimes, it is even when I am not in the sun any more, which makes it even more frustrating. Sunscreen in the eyes can sting mightily, people.

However, before our Cocoa Beach trip, I found some “sport” sunscreen that claimed to be a “no-run formula”. After putting it to the test, I have to say that the claim is pretty accurate. Not once in our four days of sunscreen did I get sunscreen in my eyes. And it was nice. And I was back to happy. Because who can’t be happy in the sun on the beach? Unless you didn’t put on sunscreen and are getting burned. And I saw several people who fit into that category, judging by the redness of their skin.

Oh, and just for the record, when I am going to be out in the sun for a while like that, even at the beach, I don’t actually put sunscreen on my shoulders. Instead, I wear a shirt to protect my shoulders. As well as my back and stomach. Just for a little extra protection. It gives that much less area to worry about if I missed a spot with the sunscreen.