Beauty is only skin deep, so the saying goes. It\’s a bit more than an adage, though.

As cyclists, we spend a lot of time outdoors; and in all weathers. Taking care of our skin is important.

At the top of my skin-care list is sunblock. I use it for any ride that will have me outdoors for more than 15-20 minutes; and maybe I should use it if the ride will take more than a mere 10 minutes. That means using it for the ride home from work!

I apply sunblock before starting my Sunday long ride; and I keep a tube of it in my under-saddle pack. On cold days, of course that sunblock is well chilled when the time comes to re-apply it. I don\’t enjoy the cold shock; but I\’d enjoy a sunburnt face even less!

On hot days, sun sleeves and leg sleeves help keep you cooler; and protect from the sun. I don\’t have any leg sleeves as of this writing; but I like sun sleeves!

Then there\’s the matter of shaved legs. Why do cyclists shave their legs? Some say that shaved legs are more aerodynamic. If you\’re into serious bicycle racing, that\’s important.

If a cyclist crashes and gets nasty road rash, shaved legs heal more easily; and are less likely to become infected. Shaved legs can make massages more comfortable; and they simply look better.

It\’s easy to forget about lip care. I keep a tube of SPF lip balm in my road bike\’s top-tube pouch. That way it\’s always handy.

The scalp is skin, too. If you have a \”zip\” haircut, don\’t forget to rub sunblock on your head before a ride!

Skin deep might be just a few millimeters; but it sure does matter.