Random Post 1: A Sunburn In the Winter?

The day is nice and sunny. I’ve just finished up with classes and decide it’s time to go to the gym. I get there and start to get into the groove of my workout. Things are going great. Then, I decide to look into the mirror, where an unfortunate sight awaited me. My face was burnt red for some unexplained reason. I couldn’t come up with a reasonable explanation for my facial redness. Finally, I decide that it’s just dry skin. However, when I clean up and put moisturizer on my skin, a painful, stinging sensation shoots across my cheeks? Why is that? Well, I discovered that my dry skin was in fact not dry skin. Instead, it was a sunburn.
 
Now look, my skin is light, so it’s not like I am not familiar with the sun overstaying its welcome. However, just to add context, this happened in the middle of February, which is during the winter for those that don't know. How the heck did I get a sunburn in the middle of winter? I know Los Angeles winters are not like the typical winter experienced by most cities across the country, but still, it didn’t make sense. Although it was a bright and sunny day, the ultraviolet rays from the sun were not nearly strong enough to create such a reaction. I was extremely confused because although I had on no sunscreen, I hadn’t spent much time outside that day. This was not normal for me. 
 
It wasn’t until the next day when my mom identified the culprit. I let her know about my inconvenience on the phone, and after further conversation she put her finger right on the jackpot: retinol. I recently entered the skin care game about six months ago when my friends dragged me to a CVS pharmacy and forced me to get skin care products for my face. From that point on, I’ve acquired a few more items apart of my routine, with retinol being my newest addition. However, I did not realize the extremity of a prescription retinol. Specifically, how sensitive your skin can become when exposed to the sun.
 
For those unfamiliar with the side effects of retinol, retinol makes your skins sensitivity similar to that of raw skin if not accompanied by other products, according to my friends and family. If you put on retinol without sunscreen and moisturizer, then you are asking for your skin to get cooked. I thought your skin remains sensitive only when the cream is on your skin, but I was wrong. That sensitivity stays with you for a while. 

Therefore, if you do choose to use to retinol, then please take that precaution in mind. While it might seem like a time burden in the moment to put on sunscreen and moisturizer, it will save your skin in the long run. Otherwise, you might get a sunburn during the winter like me.