Missy,

As a side job I have been selling suncreams on the Canarian Islands, the last two winters. As well as advising people how not to get burnt. The one big mistake people make is that they put too much sunscreen on. Like they go for a BBQ with themselves on the grill. The secret here is: LESS IS MORE. Also, you have to re-apply your sunscreen every hour, just that little bitty from the bottle... less is more!

Another mistake people do make is they stay too long in the sun. Not only they will get burnt, they also spoil the tan they've already gotten, because by burning your skin is prone to peel far more quickly than when you take it step by step. Patience is a sweet thing here.

Get yourself a sunscreen that is as natural as you can get it. The first ingredient is often "water", which means you actually buy a bottle that is more than half filled with water. Bad for the skin, especially the sensitive ones. Avoid the water-based creams, and the lower the ingredient on the list, the less it is in the bottle. So aloe vera on the bottle of the list means a pinch of aloe vera in the whole bottle... And the front says: with aloe vera!! Oh yeah, well... just that pinch...

As for keeping your skin as smooth as it is, try to find a sunscreen with a UV-A and UV-B filter. The UV-A helps against the aging of the skin!

Anything more you like to know? I can give you a whole class on it! Just give me a shout...

Elisabeth