My mom taught me the importance of protecting my fair skin, and when summer approaches I really take her advice to heart. That’s why when my friends plan beach days, I always accept their invitations, but let them know I’ll be protecting my skin by keeping it in a tote and leaving it in the shade. It’s simply the most effective way to keep my skin safe while still enjoying the outdoors.

My friends always say, “But Kiki, you’re being sooo careful and also this is really unsettling for all of us” and to that I say, yes. Yes I am very careful.

I used to keep my skin in Ziploc baggies, but then remembered that plastic can be bad for you, so that’s how I decided to start using canvas totes, like the ones at Whole Foods or from bookshops. Also, plastic baggies are see-through and people on the beach can sometimes be curious about my bag of skin.

A tote is much more private, and this way, my skin stays protected from both the sun and any wandering eyes.

After all, people on the beach stare at me a lot, either because I have no skin, or because they know I have good skin waiting for me in the shade. For example, yesterday the girls and I had a beach day, and this wind surfer named Ollie asked, “Hey, where’s your skin?” I looked up from my brim hat and told him the truth: “In a tote, in the shade, thank you very much”. He seemed worried, perhaps because my body was just raw bloody muscle, but all I wanted was to swim and dance and laugh—totally carefree, knowing I wouldn’t have to worry about harming my skin.

Sometimes it can be hard to find shade on the beach, so you have to really try! Bring an umbrella to place over your skin tote, or find a large rock under which to hide it. You don’t want your skin overheating, because if it’s hot and you put it back on, all I’ll say is, “Ouch!” I know that because once when I was 16, I forgot to put my skin in the shade and it dried out and changed shapes and I had to wait two whole weeks until it was stretched back out before I put it back on. Ugh!

No skin on beach day is much more acceptable than no skin in the high school cafeteria. Trust me, I learned my lesson.

Your friends might ask if you can help them start protecting their skin by leaving it in a tote in the shade. And you can help them, if you want, but just remember that the most important thing is making sure your skin is protected so it stays good, soft and safe.