An avid beach bum’s most powerful
tool is SUNBLOCK. Without it, one can get skin like a roasted pig, especially
in a tropical country like ours. With the advent of hyper-consumerism, a lot of
products abound in the market which promises higher SPFs. Yes, it is a given
that sunblock is a commodity (with all the UV and other harmful rays). However,
these products may seem too good to be true. I can’t imagine the truthfulness
of lotions with SPFs higher than 100 are really effective to their last drop. I
guess the economic PRINCIPLE OF DIMINISHING MARGINAL UTILITY holds true even
for products such as sun rays protector. The best remedy to avoid the scourging
heat of the sun is simple: stay away from it. If you can’t beat the summer
heat, use hats with brim and other materials that will cover your skin. I am
not saying though that we must avoid sun block lotion, which is the last thing
on my mind. In my opinion, sun block is
an indispensable tool to a wonderful beach experience. What we must learn
though is to discern which sun block products offer realistic protection and
which are just big ad BLUFFs. Before applying the lotion to your precious skin,
one must ask: IS THIS REALLY WORTH IT?
