How to Choose the Right Sunscreen

For starters, SPF stands for sun protection factor. The numbers don't refer to how long you can spend outside without getting a sunburn, they refer to the amount of UVB protection the product offers. Sunscreens with SPF 15 filter out 93 percent of UVB rays, SPF 30 filters out 97 percent, SPF 50 blocks 98 percent, and SPF 100 blocks 99 percent of UVB rays.

The thing is, wearing a sunscreen with a higher number won't allow you to stay out longer, since the effectiveness of sunscreen decreases over time. Plus if you're active, either swimming or sweating in the sun, the moisture can wash sunscreen away, leaving your skin less protected. So choose a sunscreen with at least an SPF 15. If you have fair skin that burnseasily, choose a higher SPF. Since UVA rays lead to wrinkling and sun spots, you want to make sure the bottle also says it's a broad-spectrum sunscreen, meaning it protects against both UVA and UVB rays. Reapply sunscreen every two hours — don't wait to see if your skin is turning red before reapplying since a sunburn may take up to 24 hours to appear fully.

The sunscreen aisle of the grocery store or drugstore these days is big and confusing. The shelves are loaded with gels, sticks, sprays, and oil-free versions in addition to the traditional lotions we grew up with.

What's the best kind to get? That depends on you, says dermatologist Joshua Zeichner, MD, of Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City.

The best sunscreen is the one you're willing to use every day. The next step is to ask yourself these six questions to help make a perfect sunscreen match:

6 Questions to Ask

1. Are you sporty? Then the gels are best, as they adhere well while you move and sweat, he says.
2. Do you break out? Then the oil-free kind is best. Do you have dry skin? Use a creamy sunscreen. 
3. Do you have sensitive skin or rosacea? Then stay away from chemical blockers, opting for mineral (or physical) blockers instead. They use either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, which sit on the skin's surface. Chemical blockers are absorbed into the skin and can be irritating.
4. Are you shopping for your kids? Then the stick kind is best as its formulation is waxy, which keeps it from dripping into their eyes. If you have a baby or toddler, choose a mineral/physical sunblock (think zinc oxide or titanium dioxide) that may be less irritating to the skin. But if you have a baby who is less than 6 months old, you should keep her out of the sun. "Babies have much more sensitive skin than adults, and sunscreen should be avoided," states the American Academy of Dermatology's web site.
5. Are you bald? It doesn't matter what kind of sunscreen you use, just make sure to slather the sunscreen all over your head. Or better yet, wear a hat. Even better? Do both, said Whitney Bowe, MD, assistant medical director for cosmetic and laser services at Advanced Dermatology PC in Westchester, N.Y. 
6. Are you hairy? Then the sprays and gels are best as they don't take forever to rub in, clinging to hairs like creams do, Zeichner says.

Apply It Right

Apply your sunscreen about 15 minutes before you go outside so that it has a chance to adhere to your skin in a cool environment. If you put it on while you're outside, you could sweat it off, Bowe says. 

You probably need to use more than you think: at least 1ounce -- or a full shot glass worth -- for your whole body every two hours, more often if you've gone swimming or have been sweating, Bowe says. Your face needs a nickel-sized amount. 

Seems like too much? It's not. Research has shown that most people only apply a quarter to half the amount their body actually needs. And that can leave you, well, burned. "Applying half the amount will effectively give you protection of the square root of the SPF," Zeichner says.

Reapply right after swimming and sweating. If you've been using a water-resistant sunscreen, check the label to see how long the water resistance lasts.  

Don't forget your lips, which need a lip balm or lipstick that contains sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher.

Got an old bottle of sunscreen? It may be time to replace it.  If you’ve had it a year or more, check the expiration date on the bottle.

With sunscreen has already been applied on u,
u can have a blast in Lombok for sure! ^^

Novotel Lombok - A 4* Hotel in Southern Part Lombok

This four-star Novotel offers the best in exciting activities and facilities for families, couples, honeymooners, and anyone ready to live life to the fullest.Located on the southern shore of Lombok, under an hour drive from the international airport, you’ll be playing on the white sands of the hotels unspoiled private beach in no time. Boasting its very own natural lagoon, four beautiful pools, two restaurants that overlook the ocean, and a health and treatment spa. The Kids Club will leave quite an impression on your children, with tons of fun activities and games. World famous surfing, scuba diving, and snorkeling are a must, as well as putting enough time aside for relaxing and resting in the hotels spacious elegant rooms.For that perfect holiday you’ve been looking for, the Novotel Lombok Hotel has you covered.

Novotel Lombok

Kuta Mandalika Beach

Deluxe Room

Suite Room

Suite Room

Private Pool Villa

Superior Room

Romantic Dinner

The Top 10 Travel Quotations You've (probably) Never Heard

By Aaron Hotfelder

As an inveterate quotation-hoarder, I am always on the lookout for concise yet powerful expressions of wit and wisdom related to travel. Here are ten of my favorites, followed by a couple comments on why I find them so memorable and meaningful...

10. "We are sad at home and blame the weather and the ugliness of the buildings, but on the tropical island we learn... that the state of the skies and the appearance of our dwellings can never on their own underwrite our joy nor condemn us to misery." - Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel. Travel is many things-- mind-altering, exciting, challenging-- but it is not a panacea. Those who travel abroad because they're unhappy at home will find that travel does not cure all of life's ills.

9. "When one is traveling, one must expect to spend a certain amount of money foolishly." - Robertson Davies, as quoted by Chuck Thompson in Smile When You're Lying. It happens. Whether it's indulging at the hotel mini-bar or being ripped off by an unscrupulous taxi driver, people often see their money evaporate at alarming rates when they're traveling. Expect it, and most importantly, budget for it.

8. "Very many people spend money in ways quite different from those that their natural tastes would enjoin, merely because the respect of their neighbors depends upon their possession of a good car and their ability to give good dinners. As a matter of fact, any man who can obviously afford a car but genuinely prefers travels or a good library will in the end be much more respected than if he behaved exactly like everyone else." - Bertrand Russell, The Conquest of Happiness, as quoted in Rolf Potts' Vagabonding. A reminder that it's your money and your life: do with it what you want. Every dollar spent at home is a dollar that can't be spent abroad. 

7. "There are two things to do in Juneau, drink and get drunk." - Chuck Thompson, quoting a friend, in Smile When You're Lying. It isn't just Juneau; there are only two things to do in a lot of places. Not every travel destination is a winner, and sometimes you're left in the middle of nowhere splitting a bottle of booze with a friend. Still, there are worse ways to spend an evening, or a week.

6. "Sublime places repeat in grand terms a lesson that ordinary life typically teaches viciously: that the universe is mightier than we are, that we are frail and temporary and have no alternative but to accept limitations on our will; that we must bow to necessities greater than ourselves." - Alain de Botton, The Art of Travel. In our normal, workaday lives, the experience of being "humbled" is often an embarrassing or upsetting one. But standing in the midst of Angkor Wat or Machu Picchu, we are happy, ecstatic even, to be humbled. It's a great, great feeling.

5. "You must kill ten hours to make two hours live. What you must be careful of is not to kill ALL the hours, ALL the years." - Charles Bukowski, The Captain is Out to Lunch and the Sailors Have Taken Over the Ship. The most powerful force in most people's working lives is inertia: we do what we do because it's what we've always done. But surrendering one's life to inertia is a tragic mistake.

4. "As for the idea of a native country, that is to say, of a certain bit of ground traced out on a map and separated from others by a red or blue line: no. My native country is for me the country that I love, that is, the one that makes me dream, that makes me feel well. I am as much Chinese as French, and I don't rejoice about our victories over the Arabs because I'm saddened by their defeats." - Gustave Flaubert, in a letter to Louise Colet, The Letters of Gustave Flaubert: 1830-1857. As true today as it was when Flaubert wrote it in 1846, travel provides a window into the lives of the oft-derided Others: illegal immigrants, people from the Middle East, Asian factory workers who "steal" American jobs. Travel reminds us of what shouldn't need reminding: these are people too.

3. "The fool, with all his other faults, has this also: he is always getting ready to live." - Epicurus. Couldn't have said it better myself. If not now, when?

2. "We have a new joke on the reservation: 'What is cultural deprivation?' Answer: 'Being an upper-middle class white kid living in a split-level suburban home with a color TV.'" - John Fire Lame Deer, Lame Deer: Seeker of Visions. Ouch. Okay, this one hits a little too close to home. Still, it's a reminder that there's a hell of a lot more to life than watching TV and clicking aimlessly on the internet. A whole world awaits.

1. "Often I feel I go to some distant region of the world to be reminded of who I really am... Stripped of your ordinary surroundings, your friends, your daily routines, your refrigerator full of your food, your closet full of your clothes, you are forced into direct experience. Such direct experience inevitably makes you aware of who it is that is having the experience. That's not always comfortable, but it is always invigorating." - Michael Crichton, Travels, as quoted in Rolf Potts' Vagabonding. I can't tell you how often that final sentence pops into my mind whenever I'm hanging on for dear life during some insane taxi ride, or arriving in a new town after midnight. No, travel isn't always comfortable, but it's always, always invigorating.

Got a favorite travel quotation of your own? Share it in the Comments. ^^

Things to Pack That Will Save Your Money

For you who are watching your wallet and purse, it's important to stick to a budget, find money-saving travel deals, and get the best possible exchange rate. Additionally, those looking to save cash would do well to pack strategically. The right travel gear can help you keep costs down while traveling. Pack these following items to save money on airline bag fees, laundry-service charges, and other expenses.

Empty Carry-On Travel Bottle

Don't specifically buy those travel-size product. Those are a waste of money. Instead,  pack your own carry-on travel bottles filled with your favorite products. 

Sunscreen Stick

If you're traveling a place like Gili Trawangan or Senggigi (which are tourist major destinations), any sunblock for sale in local shops will probably be really expensive. The wallet-friendly solution is to buy solid sunscreen at your hometown. Neutrogena and Coppertone both offer stick sunscreen, which may be carried onto a plane in any amount since it's not a liquid. Bonus: It will never leak all over your stuff.

Snacks

Once upon a time, airlines were as liberal with edible treats as your grandma. Now, many airlines sell marked-up bagged snacks that you could buy in the store for a lot less. So bring your own bagged candy, crackers, and nuts and save a few bucks.

Duct Tape

Like a Swiss Army knife, duct tape has myriad practical uses. But unlike a Swiss Army knife, you can take it on a plane. Use the tape to put things back together if your suitcase gets ripped by rough-and-tumble baggage handlers, thus saving you from having to spend money on a new bag during your trip. If you're heading to a place with an unfavorable exchange rate, purchasing a big-ticket item like a new suitcase could really eat up your budget.

Other creative uses for duct tape include covering blisters on feet, removing lint from clothing, and creating a makeshift hotel-room safe by taping your wallet and jewelry to the underside of the bed.

Empty Water Bottle

Most travelers know this trick, as is evidenced by the lines that sometimes form at water fountains near boarding areas (we have it in SoeTa Airport - Jakarta). Well, just avoid the overpriced newsstand bottled water by packing an empty bottle in your suitcase and filling it up after you've gone through security. To save space, opt for a squishy, foldable flask like the Vapur Anti-Bottle.

Travel Laundry Detergent

Even if you're planning to pack enough clothing to avoid using laundry services during your trip, an upturned glass of drinks or a leaky bottle in your suitcase could make a mess of your plans or clothes.

Pack travel laundry detergent and stain remover to use in case of a spill emergency (a small package of Rinso, Attack, or Daia would be perfect). 

Traveling with laundry detergent could also save you from having to buy replacement clothes upon your return. Let certain stains set for too long and they might never come out.

**taken from www.smartertravel.com with some changes 

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LOMBOK is not only Senggigi and Gili