The Goddess Speaks
The Goddess Speaks
‘Chocolate Baby’
goes to shady extremesIn high school I'd go to the beach almost every weekend. I'd come home so dark that my mom called me "Chocolate Baby." Little did I realize at that time that my exposure to the sun would result in a checkerboard face years later. Now when I mention the word "beach," some of my friends, who formerly enjoyed picnics and swimming, frown and say, "Too much sun."
Worrying about skin cancer, I began to put on sunscreen and wear a visor when I played outdoor volleyball. After a while I noticed that dark streaks had formed above my cheeks, making me look like a raccoon. My facialist said it was due to the sun. But how could that be? I was taking precautions.
Well, I finally figured out that I was supposed to have reapplied sunscreen during the day and that my loose sunglasses, which rested on my cheeks, had caused the discoloration. My facialist said that I have the kind of skin that blotches easily. Now she tells me!
I began to notice women who had dark circles on the sides of their faces and on their arms. My mom had some as well. She attributed them to the burning rays of the sun which marked her as she drove her car to and from work. My friend Lynn took me to a store called Sun Protection-Hawaii that sells protective gear and suggested that I buy sleeves. What a hassle to put them on and to store in the car. Besides, they looked pretty strange on. But I got used to them. Just last week I hiked with some friends, and one of them showed me her arms covered with sun spots. Immediately, I thought of my sleeves. Wow! I couldn't have made a better investment in purchasing those weird-looking half-garments!
DEAN SENSUI / DSENSUI @STARBULETIN.COM
Cover-up queen Collette Akana sports elastic-band sleeves , fisherman's hat, UVA/UVB protective sunglasses, every day pop-up umbrella, hand fan and towel.
THE SLEEVES are only a part of my driving ensemble. A white towel covers my lap when I'm wearing shorts. And sunglasses from Sunglass Hut top off the "covered" look. Lately, I've also been using a fan to shade the left side of my face as I travel from Aiea to town in the morning.
Every day, I smother my face with Nivea Visage Alpha Flavon SPF 15 lotion. It has a clean and light texture. For beach, parade and hike days, I'll spread Neutrogena UVA/UVB Sunblock SPF 45 all over my body. It claims to be rub-proof, sweat-proof and waterproof.
Sometimes I don an aloha print hat with a drawstring. It was my favorite headpiece until friends made fun of it. Various colored visors are now my preferred garb. An umbrella at the swap meet is a must for me. It also proved indispensable on a recent scorching summer trip to Disneyland.
When I go to the park these days to hang out with friends or to practice tai chi, I try to find the shadiest area where I feel comfortable enough to remove my protective attire. I love being outdoors. I love the beach. I love the mountains. But I need my sunscreen, visor, sleeves, towel, fan, sunglasses and umbrella to help keep me safe from damaging sun rays. It may look weird, but this Chocolate Baby ain't gonna melt in the sun.
Collette Leimomi Akana is a teacher at Kamehameha Schools and mother of Star-Bulletin intern Keiko Kiele Akana-Gooch.
The Goddess Speaks is a column by and about
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