Before sunscreen (1)
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Jun 15, 2010
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One of the important lessons I've learned in my 20-some years on this spinning orb is that the sun hates me. The sun is great for things like photosynthesis, Vitamin D production, and burning things with a magnifying glass. But if it had the opportunity, the sun would melt my skin off like hot wax dripping off a candle. In a sense, the sun is a jerk. But another important lesson I've learned is that I can simply apply a cheap white cream to my skin, and suddenly I can handle anything the sun throws at me. So the question I ask myself every time I'm putting on this chemical armor is this: What did people do before sunscreen? I would assume they moved to cold places and/or simply stayed out of the sun. But I've gotten sunburn in the winter, and I'm pretty sure I'll get sunburn just by writing bad things about the sun. I guess covering your skin with clothing is a good idea, but it's a sweaty, smelly idea too. My aunt told me she once tried Crisco in a misguided belief that it might make her cook more evenly. It worked, but only in the sense that she got badly though evenly burnt. #health
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