Disclosure: Thanks to RoC® skin care with SPF I'm getting my skin ready for the Summer as part of a sponsored post for Socialstars #WomenWhoRoC

Does the sun really age you? A question those without a single wrinkle or dark spot ask with skepticism. I'm pretty confident I never asked this question when I was younger simply because I wasn't invested in the long term health of my skin. I was just about the here and now, and I only really wanted sun-kissed skin. All without any sun protection at all. Even now, I still want a glowing tan. It makes me look younger, it masks my uneven skin tone, and it makes me look thinner (you just gotta love an optical illusion.) The difference between now and then? I understand that sunscreen with a minimum of SPF 30 (as recommended by the AAD) is an absolute must. My skin will still darken a bit, but protected. Some of the RoC® skin care products I've been using, RoC® RETINOL CORREXION® Deep Wrinkle Daily Moisturizer and RoC® MULTI CORREXION® 5 in 1 Chest, Neck and Face Cream both have broad spectrum sunscreen SPF 30.  This is sufficient for every day application, but if you plan to head to the beach, make sure to use it in conjunction with a sunscreen you will re-apply every two hours. There are two types of UV rays, UVA and UVB. They each do something a little differently to the skin and a good reason to use a broadspectrum sunscreen, which covers both. Think UVA = aging and UVB = burning. UVA is what causes those pesky dark spots and skin cancer and UVB causes photoaging and skin cancer, as well. If you go to a tanning salon (and truth be told, I used to in my late teens/early 20's), it's UVA rays that are emitted the most (which is why you tan so fast in the booth.) Here's more info about the two: UVA: Can pass through window glass. Is not affected by a change in altitude or weather. Is present all day, at the same intensity and every day of the year. Penetrates deep into skin layers. Is 95% of the sun’s rays. Is 20 times more abundant than UVB rays. Affects long-term skin damage. UVB: Cannot pass through window glass. Causes sunburn. Causes tanning. Helps the body with normal vitamin D production. Varies with the season. It is more intense in the summer than in the winter. Varies with weather conditions. Is more intense at midday than in the morning or late afternoon. Is more intense at high altitudes and near the equator. Is protected against by the SPF in sunscreens. Is related to more than 90% of non-melanoma skin cancer. Back in the "olden days" skin care products didn't come with built-in sunscreen. I'm glad they do today to protect our skin from damage. In terms of my skin, there's not too much I can do about sun damage caused from the past, but using skin care products like RoC® with SPF 30 will help protect against future sun damage when used with other sun protection measures. How are you protecting your skin from sun damage? Subscribe to A Girl’s Gotta Spa! beauty blog. Watch our reviews on YouTube, see our pins on Pinterest and check us out on Instagram and G+. Got a Kindle? We’re on Kindle too!