April Goddard

It’s amazing to think that we are officially almost one-fourth through the year. March is the month that we (very, very slowly) start to say goodbye to winter and hello to spring. (Except for the inevitable, randomly placed, pop-up snow shower between 55-degree days. Welcome to New England.) For those lucky spring breakers who are packing it up to go elsewhere for a guaranteed 80-degree break, the time has come to start thinking about what to pack up for that much-needed, sunshine-filled vacation. After all, the last time we have all seen a drop of substantial sunshine was almost six months ago. Through the literal whirlwind of winter, we may have forgotten what it is like to not have to prepare for icy, bitter weather just to step outside for a moment. Beach day, anyone?

The first and most important thing not to forget for your sunny spring break is sunscreen. Listen people, I understand the desperate desire for a tan. However, at this point in the game, we are all well aware that excess sun exposure is just not good for our skin. (Fine lines, wrinkles, sunspots and cancer? No thanks.) On top of this, our skin practically hasn’t seen the light of day for an entire season. This means that it will be particularly sensitive to aggressive UV rays and may result in the quickest sunburn that you’ve ever had. So do yourself a favor: Pick out a decent sunscreen of SPF 50 or higher and apply it every few hours. Your skin will thank you, and you will decrease the chances of coming back home looking like a total lobster. Neutrogena makes a killer sunscreen that is face-specific and safe for sensitive skin.

While we’re on the topic of sun exposure, let us not forget to protect our delicate eyes from the sun as well. Did you know that not wearing sunglasses can also increase the probability of having fine lines around your eyes? On top of this, it can seriously damage vision as we age. All the more reason to embrace throwing on a cool pair of shades as you lay on the beach or lounge by the pool. The Ray-Ban 3347 has been my go-to lately, and the popularity of this retro shape won’t be going anywhere anytime soon.

A lot of people go through the effort of protecting their skin and eyes from the sun, but forget to throw on a lip balm that has SPF in it to protect the lips. After all, they can get sunburned, too. Thankfully, almost every brand (both drugstore and high-end) has the solution to avoiding sunburnt lips. These balms come in a wide variety of colors and textures, and the best part about them is that they do the same thing as a sunscreen without the risk of having to eat lotion.

Now that you’re prepped for the sun, have a great spring break!