Take care of your skin!

Sorry I have been so quiet lately island friends, truth is I have had a trip to the skin doctor and he has attacked me with some fancy schmancy super expensive cream, which has burnt off skin cancers.  3 off my face, and 1 on my arm.  I am only 46, but I guess its the price I am going to start to pay for a life in the sun.  Here I am about 10 years go on the beach in St.Maarten.  Well covered up!

The thing is that after I started West Indies Wear and I had cool cotton clothes to wear to cover myself up... I did always try! .... but then I find photos of myself when we had been sailing in the Caribbean for the first year.  Although I was always wary of the sun, and often tried to hide from it - you wouldn't think so if you saw me in this photo!

OOh my goodness, I look burnt to a crisp....ok I wasn't actually burnt, and I do have the sort of skin that tans rather than burns.  I did wear hats, but I didn't cover up my arms, shoulders or back.... and at this stage I had spent a whole year living on the water.  Day in and day out.  Reflection of the sun off the water also plays a big part in it.  Here is a photo of me sailing along (and pulling silly faces at my sister taking the photo) see I did wear hats!

Here I am in the dinghy with my crew a few years later.. see a hat, but no arms covered.  Interesting that my baby girl has her arms covered with long sleeves, but no hat on.... thinking that was just for the dinghy ride (so it didnt blow away) as I normally kept her covered.  Her mop of blonde curls also helped to protect her cute little face.

Interestingly enough, this baby girl is now almost 15.  During our recent school holidays she went to the beach with her friends (first time I have let her do that) so while she was there I was texting her "are you wearing a hat?".... "have you got sunscreen on?"... "did you re-apply sunscreen after your swim?".....  the replies I got were the typical 15 year old YES MUUUMMMMMM !  Oh and she sent me this cheeky photo to prove she was wearing a hat.

Well, she came home sunburnt, and spent the next 4 days complaining that her shoulders were sore.  How ironic that after spending the first 7 years of her life in the tropical Caribbean, and the second 7 years of her life in Australia (the skin cancer capital of the world) this was the first time she had been sun burnt !!!!!

WOW - proud parent moment !!!  I didn't do too bad as a mother after all !  Here she is late afternoon in St.Maarten waiting for me to come home from work as the General Manager of Shipwreck Shops.... waving to me as I walked up the dock.

So island friends, no video from me this week, as I am very VANE and have no intentions of anyone seeing me looking like this ha ha.  BUT lets just use this as a lesson for all of you heading somewhere tropical this Thanksgiving or any time this winter.  PLEASE COVER UP !!!  Wear a big wide brim hat, and a cotton (because it is cooler to wear) tunic with at least 3/4 sleeves, like Fiona here in Fiji.

Another good idea is to take a few cotton sarongs to drape over your shoulders when you are in the sun.... here is a photo of me in Bali doing just that!

Stay sun smart island friends.

One love x