Today’s post is being sponsored by Neutrogena
My mother’s genes blessed me with relatively clear skin and a youthful appearance.
It has meant that throughout my life I’ve relied very little on makeup and other cosmetics to care for my skin. Except for when I was 1. I was apparently all about the red lippies then!
Even as I’ve gotten older and more exhausted and could probably use a little awesome for my under eye bags, my unable hands, unaccustomed to the workings of makeup, have been little use.
Anyway, most days I’d rather sleep 15 minutes longer than get up to apply makeup that I will likely sweat off during an awkward encounter with someone at the grocery store.
Or something.
Back when motherhood meant little sleep and even less me time, my daily get ready regimen consisted of wake up, brush teeth, put on sunscreen, dress, leave house, slay. Or survive for those days when slaying was just not an option.
And, while getting dressed was negotiable and largely dependent on my current mood(I know, I know, and it was this proclivity for wearing jammie pants in public that wound me up on What NOT to Wear), I never left home without my sunscreen.
Yet another thing I have to thank my mama for.
She was always diligent about protecting our skin from harmful UV rays with sunscreen.
To this day she preaches about the necessity of sunscreen in your life and she swears that it is responsible in large part for her youthful appearance.
And she’s still worrying over my protection and that of The Dudes… Did you come out of your house without your sunscreen again, Amanda? You must want to look like a leather piñata when you’re 40, huh?
Do you want some doctor carving a chunk of your face out? Won’t be cute then, will you, girl?
You don’t see this face wrinkling in the sun. Nope, I wear my sunscreen. And my hat, and an umbrella too. You’ll be sorry when you’re my age.
And put some sunscreen on my babies. You don’t get to fry them too.
And, how can I argue? She’s totally right and sunscreen has been very good to her.
I mean seriously, look at this face…
That is an almost 65 year old woman you guys!
I know there are a lot of good genes and melanin to thank for this, but I can’t dismiss the importance and necessity of wearing sunscreen because not only does it keep you looking fly, it keeps you looking alive.
Believe it or not, more than 350 Americans are diagnosed with skin cancer every hour. Every. Single. Hour.
And I’m not only talking about white Americans.
Believe it or not, brown people, you can get melanoma too!
Darker skinned people are much less at risk than fair skinned people, but the fact of the matter is that all people with skin are susceptible to skin cancer (my own father has had some issues with moles that needed to be removed), and wearing sunscreen is one of your best defenses.
A practice it’s important you make a habit of when your children are young.
A lesson I am actively teaching to The Dudes too.
When Neutrogena reached out and shared their ideas for The Talk and why we need to have it, I realized that I actually wasn’t being that great of a role model to them where sunscreen was concerned.
Sure, I sprayed it all over them before we hit the pool and I forced them to wear it when we went to amusement parks, but I never actually let them see, first hand how important it is to me and how dedicated I am to protecting myself.
Did you know: Studies show that kids are more likely to adopt healthy habits, like applying sunscreen, if they see their moms applying it on themselves.
So, I decided to show them how to protect their skin by showing them how I protect my own.
Naturally, I added some dancing to drive the point home, but it is really about sunscreen-ing together, so they can actually see that sun protection is a practice I live, and not just another one I only preach (like putting my shoes in the basket by the door, and hanging up my pajamas in the morning and not eating cookies for breakfast).
Neutrogena and I want to encourage moms everywhere to take some time to have The Talk, to teach your kids the importance of wearing sunscreen, and to let them see you protecting yourself against sun exposure too. We’re even going to get you started with a giveaway!
Show us how your kids #MimicMommy by uploading a photo to social and tagging @Neutrogena and #MimicMommy with a link to the video (http://bit.ly/1X0YRrF) for a chance to win a Mimic Mommy Sunscreen Kit from Neutrogena including the products we love most (you guys, the face and body sunscreen stick is everything, no one has to get the spray in their eyes or mouth again)!
Your entry (and every time you share the video with #MimicMommy) can also help make a change for others. For every video share, Neutrogena® will donate $1 to the Children’s Melanoma Prevention Foundation – a non-profit, educational organization committed to preventing skin cancer through comprehensive sun safety and melanoma awareness programs.
So share the video, use the hashtag, slather on that sunscreen, and give your kids something to mimic when it comes to sun protection!
You can dance if you want too, trust me when I say it makes everything better!
Disclosure: Today’s post is sponsored by Neutrogena via the Motherhood. I have been compensated for this work and all opinions are my own.