We live in LA, so we spend somewhere around 800 hours a day in our cars. This is especially disturbing because it’s always sunny in Los Angeles (humblebrag!), and we recently learned that the left sides of our faces are getting fried at an alarming rate as a result. This image—of a truck driver whose face looks drastically different on the left side than it does on the right side—is a cautionary tale we won’t soon forget. According to the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology, 53% of skin cancers in the U.S. occur on the left, or driver’s, side of the body. UVA rays can penetrate glass, making it critical to slather on your sunscreen before your commute (as opposed to halfway through your commute, as part of the dicey mid-drive, late-to-work application most of us favor) and again before you commute home (if you’re lucky enough to leave the office while it’s still daylight outside.) If you live in a sunny place and spend a lot of time in your car, you may also want to consider getting window film that specifically blocks UVA rays, as most side windows let in 63% of the sun’s UVA radiation. To help heal damage already done, we suggest following the professional advice given to the truck driver mentioned above: use topical retinoids daily. We’d also recommend adding a Vitamin C-packed serum to your regimen, giving specific attention to the left side of your face if you’re a daily long distance driver.
