Crafty ways to protect your skin this summer!

Listen, Missy - don't go out in direct sunlight without protecting your skin! Here's a fun way to do that! Use chalk to lightly draw your design on the surface. Pick up a few bottles of Tulip Puffy Paint (neon is in for summer!) and follow over your lines. Use some chunky gems to add a bit of flash.

 Back in the day, around this time of year, I used to park my booty in my parents backyard on our dry-dry-dry, grassless lawn, spread out a towel, my boombox, a tube of suntan oil and have at it. I don't know why, it was the thing to do, I guess. At least Maya is smarter. She recently wanted to tan her skin, so she went with a bronzing cream. Eh, didn't quite work, it left streaks all over her legs, but it was certainly better than my former method.

*Shakes head*

What can I say? I was a silly teen! I didn't know better, but now I do and I want to help spread the word about protecting your skin during these summer months. I'm from Arizona, where the weather always feels like God has turned the oven on to 350 degrees. I've lived here all my life and I've grown accustomed to being hot. But when it comes to my skin, and my family's, we always make sure to have sunscreen and... a hat!

Of course crafting is part of my solution. This is a new one I decorated for the season. Like it? It started off plain, but after a little paint and a few gems, it's ready for any pool party in my path.



Other crafty ideas:
Cowboy Hat.
Floppy Sun Hat.
Graffiti Cap.
Iced Fedora.
Faux Tattoo Sunglasses.
Ways to protect your skin (I know you know these already!):
- Wear a wide brimmed hat.
- Wear sunscreen that is SPF30 (don't forget to use waterproof if you're swimming!).
- Drink at least 8 glasses of water a day.
- Avoid tanning booths.
- Try to stay out of the sun during the hottest parts of the day (10 am-4 pm).
- Sport some stylin' sunglasses to protect your peepers.
- Wear a swimsuit cover up  - they are cute and gauzy, perfect for tiedyeing!
- Pay attention to your friends and family member and make sure they are taking precautions as well.

On a serious note, one of my grandfathers passed away (long ago) from skin cancer, so this message is dear to my heart. It's one of the reasons why I'm helping with the Neutrogena Choose Skin Health Campaign.

The campaign is all about educating the masses about all things skin. To do that, they are offering FREE skin cancer screenings all over the country.  I just spent about an hour tonight reading over all the information - check it out! Stuff like this:

One American dies of melanoma almost every hour. With early detection, however, melanoma has an almost 100 percent five-year survival rate. The goal of the Choose Skin Health partnership between the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery and Neutrogena is to encourage the public to choose healthy sun-safe behaviors, including skin cancer prevention through free skin cancer screenings, using sunscreen regularly and practicing skin self-exams monthly.
Recent research has shown that the incidence of skin cancer is rising at epidemic levels. In 2011, ASDS members performed more than 2.6 million skin cancer treatment procedures. To help in prevention efforts, the ASDS and Neutrogena are partnering to provide free skin cancer screenings through ASDS member volunteers.
Learn more about skin cancer 
Download the Skin Cancer Self-Exam Kit 

Save the Date
Summer Fun Tips for Healthy Skin Twitter Party, Wednesday June 13th at 6pm PST.

Have fun and protect your skin!  

Disclosure: This is a sponsored post in collaboration with Neutrogena and Latina Bloggers Connect