Even generally flawless human being Jennifer Aniston has beauty regrets. But instead of wishing she’d avoided a devastating haircut or humiliating eyebrow-grooming incident, her regrets surround the oh-so important, but often overlooked decision to wear sunscreen. The actress recently revealed to Glamour UK that if she could go back in time, she’d only tell her younger self one thing: Protect. Your. Skin.
"I always think, 'Why didn't someone make me wear sunscreen?'" she told Glamour UK. "Again, it comes back to being young and thinking I was invincible. I thought that dewy, tanned skin would just stay beautiful, but you have to protect it." Aniston went on to essentially say that she gets it: Remembering to regularly reapply sunscreen can put a serious damper on a beach vacay or a poolside getaway. But when you consider the benefits of wearing it—or the consequences of deciding not to reapply—sunscreen kind of becomes a no-brainer.
Not only can sun damage cause your skin to dry out, look wrinkled, get discolored, or grow leathery, it can also lead to more severe things like skin cancer—which, as you might know already, is the most common form of cancer. More than 3 million Americans get basal and more life-threatening squamous cell skin cancers each year. And more than 76,000 are estimated to get melanoma—the deadliest of the skin cancers—this year alone.
All of these effects can be prevented with the regular and correct use of sunscreen—something that might be harder than it sounds. Not only is it important to make sure your sunscreen hasn't expired and that you're thoroughly applying it in all the right places, but you also have to avoid misconceptions like, "I can't get sunburned through a window," and, "I have a dark complexion so I don't need sunscreen as much." Oh, and cold weather doesn't make you immune to sun damage either. Stay educated about sun damage and welcome into your life as your skin’s new best friend.
And when it comes to sun protection, Aniston’s favorite is Aveeno's Absolutely Ageless Daily Moisturizer Broad Spectrum SPF 30 (she’s a celebrity representative of the brand). The actress told SELF she wears it on the reg. “If I’ve got [SPF] 30, I feel like we’re good to go,” she said.
Happy sunscreening!
Related:
- 7 Sunscreen Mistakes You’re Probably Making
- These People Used Spray-On Sunscreen Incorrectly And Their Tan Lines Are Unbelievably Insane
- We Know It’s Still Winter, But You Should Be Wearing Sunscreen Right Now, FYI
You might also like: "Scary Facts About Sunscreen You Need To Know This Summer"
Photo Credit: Getty / Gregg DeGuire
