What Half A Bottle of Sun Block Being Used Up in Two Weeks Taught Me about Enlightenment, Resolution, and Examining Elements of a Habit

I recently wrote a post on enlightenment and resolution, in Diwali and Elizabeth Gilbert on Heaven and Hell.

Wearing sun block is one of the top prevention of aging of the skin.  I know that.  This is nothing new to anyone.  I guess we’re all enlightened.  But there is a number of us who don’t wear it as often as we should.

Five plus years ago, I found a sun block that was able to protect my skin from long exposure to the sun.

Last year, I resolved to wear it more often.  I bought two tubes of these very expensive sun blocks so that they are readily available. I also put them into smaller travel size bottles so that they are in my purse, in my car, etc.  I put my money where my mouth was.  However, I DIDN’T WEAR THEM EVERY DAY.  Prevention from EVERYDAY exposure though is as important as from extended intense exposures at an occasional basis.

Recently, I came across a combined moisturizer and sun block (SPF 30) from my favorite store Purity Cosmetics (www.100percentpure.com) and I bought one to try.

Here is a description of the ARGAN OIL HYDRATION FACIAL MOISTURIZER SPF 30.

Moisturizing formula with SPF 30 to block out the sun’s UVA (ultra violet aging) and UVB (ultra violet burning) rays infused with nutrients such as Argan Oil, Rosehip Oil, Green Tea and Herbal Extracts to soften and nourish skin. In addition to protecting against the sun’s UV rays, antioxidants provide protection against environmental damage to the skin. Protects against skin cancer, fine lines, wrinkles and dark sun/age spots! 

The order was placed on October 28^th.  It arrived at the first week of November and I finished half a bottle in two weeks!!  This NEVER HAPPENS.  And as I looked at my experience over the history of sun block wearing, I realized something.

What I had was good but not good enough for the habit that I wanted to have.  I wanted an everyday sun block so it needed to be convenient, say a sun block and moisturizer all-in- one.  I had tried the two-in-one many years ago but the moisturizer alone was not hydrating or the sun block in the combination product was not sufficiently effective.  So, my expensive sunblock was effective in being a sunblock but it was deficient for everyday use.

Most importantly, my eyes feel like they were burning when any sun block gets into them.  I guess subconsciously, if something burns if it gets into my eyes, I didn’t want to have it on my face on an everyday basis.

In retrospect, if I had been more aware of my experience in its entirety and thought methodically of what I needed AND understood the reason I didn’t like what I had, then I would be able to look for something that has all of the following features:

• Natural (because I am concern about chemicals being in contact with my skin);
• Non greasy/absorbs quickly;
• Light scent;
• Sun block and moisturizer in one;
• Gentle (doesn’t burn my eyes when I wash it);

I came across a September 2010 issue of In Style yesterday and found Origin’s Brighter by Nature SPF 35 which is a skin tone correcting moisturizer and it looks like this product, on paper, may have all the above features.  Then I would have started a habit of wearing sun block say in 2010.

Another way of looking at the situation however is that I’ve now finally found what I had been looking for.  So, it wouldn’t be hard for me to keep the habit I resolved to have.  I am placing an order of two more tubes of the ARGAN OIL HYDRATION FACIAL MOISTURIZER SPF 30.