A Skin For No Seasons

My epidermis does not treat me fairly. In the summer I have to put on sunscreen almost as soon as I get out of bed. The nighttime glow of the moon will almost sunburn me. I do not tan. I go from porcelain white right to sunburn-red. The midday sun will burn me in about twenty minutes tops. For this reason I have bought a number of very odd hats. The latest one I bought online from an outdoor clothing store. It looks like something that could protect a space traveler from solar flares.

Point is; my skin does not really enjoy summer. I am constantly putting on a sunscreen that has a maximum level of SPF. I’d get one with even a higher rating if they made such a thing. So you would think that my skin must be made for winter. Well, it is not yet November and I am starting to get the first symptoms of dry skin. I first started suffering from the itch of dry skin about four years ago. There was about a six week period in the dead of winter when I started getting an area of itch under my breasts and across my back, and another area along my waist. When it first started bothering me I did not know what it was. Since the itching was at areas that contact elastic clothing, I thought I was allergic to some chemical in the elastic. Finally after a bit of experimentation, I came to the conclusion that it was simply dry skin, made all the more dry by the elastic contact.

So my skin does not like the summer or the winter. What adds insult to injury is that the only skin cream that seems to work is Gold Bond Body Lotion. The stuff is fairly expensive, but what really bothers me is its fragrance. The menthol ingredient comes through full power, especially when it is first applied. Not only does it stop the itch, it can clear the sinuses too. Most of the time this is not a big concern, but there are occasions when I do not want to exude the scent of a prescription cough drop. I have long since concluded that perfumes do not hide the scent, only combine with it for a new, weird aroma. So in the end, I usually apply the Gold Bond and when necessary explain the scent, or I forgo the Gold Bond and suffer through the itching.

I suppose that I should be thankful that the sunscreen is odorless.