Trust Me on the Sunscreen
From Soothing Burns With Crushed Strawberries to Base Tans to SPF 50, Our Move Toward a Sun-Safe Future
It’s April 2000. I’m 14 years old, lying on a beach in the Bahamas, a bottle of SPF 20 at my side. I periodically check to see how my suntan is developing, watching with fascination as my pale white skin turns a deep, chestnut brown. Through the headphones of my Discman, Baz Luhrmann is telling the class of ’99 to “trust me on the sunscreen.” I nod along to the beat, oblivious to the irony. Luhrmann’s caution is ahead of the curve.
Looking back, 14 seems very young to have been …
