Summer is the best time of the year! You can argue that with me but you’ll probably lose. There are warm beaches, friends and family having a blast, and always best served with an iced coffee from your favorite local shop. My favorite is the Cadillac Java and Ice Cream, which is where I get my Snickers Frappe. No matter what you prefer to sip on while soaking in the beachy rays and vibes, I’m sure it’s amazing.
Me and my friend Alaina, who is also my sister-in-law, took our kiddos to the Michigan State Park beach. It’s a short 20 minute curvy back-road ride to Lake City. It only cost us $2 to get in and the beach is wonderful. Super clean and open, patroled by police and very safe. I love it! My first pick for a beach near the Cadillac, Michigan
Area.
Summer is my favorite because it’s the only time of the year you can be outside and be comfortable. I don’t like getting frostbite when I want to play outdoors with my kids. That’s not fun for anybody. I prefer grilling outdoors, sipping margaritas while watching my kids chase butterflies and feed grass to our rabbits. I like being able to slip my feet into sandals, grabbing an easy diaper bag, sunscreen, and a bottle of water and heading out to our next outdoor adventure. While the beach and being outdoors is our family favorite, we also know that safety must be priority.
According to the Melanoma Research Foundation, “Every hour of every day one American dies from melanoma – that’s approximately 10,000 per year.”. I love being in the sun and feeling my skin warm from the summer heat, but I don’t want my family or anyone I love to be a statistic. Skin cancer is no joke and it’s mostly preventable. Our job first and foremost is to protect our family in any way we are able. Sunscreen= sun safety! Not to mention, wrinkles, I fear wrinkles like crazy.
This is what the Mayo Clinic says about the cause of wrinkles, “Ultraviolet radiation, which speeds the natural aging process, is the primary cause of early wrinkling. Exposure to UV light breaks down your skin’s connective tissue — collagen and elastin fibers, which lie in the deeper layer of skin (dermis). Without the supportive connective tissue, your skin loses strength and flexibility. Skin then begins to sag and wrinkle prematurely.”
So basically being in the sun all the time with no protection will give you cancer and wrinkles. That’s not exciting news at all, but we are in a time where amazing science exists and we have sunscreen. I have always loved and trusted Neutrogena since I was a small girl and my grandpa always bragged about how well his T-gel shampoo worked on dandruff. He is a picky man and it takes A LOT to get the Carl stamp of approval. So when I’m at the store and shopping for my skin care, I often reach for Neutrogena.
Since I love their sunscreen so much already, I partnered with them to try out their new ‘Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen’. Here’s what Neutrogena has to say about their new product:
A sunscreen that quenches your skin? Say hello to Neutrogena Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen! The powerful broad spectrum UVA/UVB sunscreen is infused with Hyaluronic Acid, conditioning Vitamin E and glycerin to leave skin feeling healthy and hydrated. It is a non-greasy sunscreen that has a weightless, clean feel. Best of all, it layers invisibly under makeup. Join in on the conversation using #EverydayisaSUNday. For more information check out Neutrogena.com/SUNday.
Here’s my honest opinion: I loved it. To be completely frank, I have usually chosen not to wear sunscreen until recently. I hate how it feels, smells, and stays on you even after you try shower it off. BUT, this new Hydro Boost Water Gel Lotion Sunscreen is different. It went on smoothly, and I didn’t have to rub it in for 10 minutes to feel protected. It smells nice, refreshing, and more like a lotion than clay, like most feel. And I like that the bottle is easy to hold. round bottles and slippery hands are not compatible, but this lotion bottle is more flat so it fits in your hand and doesn’t slide all over. And bonus, the packaging is in one of my favorite colors, and the same as the water. Score! I will definitely look for it on the shelves in the future.
I love taking my kids to the beach and the older I get, the more I worry about stuff like wrinkles and the C-word. In the last year, between just two of my grandparents they have had cancer in seven of their organs, so it is no joke to me! I will be taking this product with me wherever I go, and I hope you do too!
*These products were provided by Neutrogena. Thoughts and opinions are my own #Gotitforfree
