It wouldn’t be summer without the smell of the ocean breeze and the sting of a fresh sunburn. As an actor, your face is your product and you need to be careful to protect against harsh UV rays before you are stuck auditioning for roles in “Jersey Shore: The Movie” or “The Woman with Leather Skin.” Read more about protecting your skin in “A Raisin in The Sun”

Various dermatologists will tell you that 30 minutes of sun exposure per day can be a great natural source of Vitamin D, but be careful not to fry yourself at peak UV hours. It is a slippery slope when you go from healthy to playing the lead in the next Donatella Versace biopic.

Not only should you protect your skin for the sake of your looks (I mean career…) surprise, poor skincare can also lead to cancer. Researchers from the Warren Alpert Medical School at Brown University report that people who have frequent blistering sunburns between the ages of fifteen and twenty are 80% more likely to develop melanoma in adulthood than those without a history of serious burns.

Take a cue from actors who have been in the spotlight (not the sunlight) for a few years. Once you start noticing, the likes of Christina Ricci, Anne Hathaway and Jared Leto have relatively pasty skin. Though only some of them have played vampires, they all seem to have adopted a vampire inspired lifestyle in order to maintain their youthful appearance. As far we know, none of them are drinking the blood of sacrificed virgins, but they are staying out of the sun. If preventative skincare is what’s keeping Jared Leto looking like he’s bathing in the fountain of youth then count me in.

There are plenty of higher end sunscreens (you can find a list here from Refinery 29) or you can find more basic sunscreens at your local Target or CVS. It doesn’t matter your preference, only that you remember to apply and reapply.