With the weather getting warmer, the sun is on our minds. What's something you think is important for women, especially Latina women, to know about sun exposure?
"As Latinas, we think that because we have darker skin, we’re not going to have any damage from the sun — and that’s not true. The atmosphere has changed so much over the last few decades, and we have to be vigilant with our sun protection."
How do you think this education needs to be passed down?
"Just making them aware of the dangers, so that they can be conscious. They have to know that by not protecting yourself when you are younger, you can develop cancer when you grow older. So, we as Neutrogena ambassadors are trying to give that message to the people."
Why is this particular topic so important to you?
"Because I’ve had people in my family — my mother’s husband, he got cancer because of that. He was always exposed to the sun and he would always get tanned. Many people in the Hispanic community, they just care about looking good [and that means being tan]. They don’t care about the damage that they are doing to their skin. I think it’s so important for people to know that and to get the message."
Are there any other specific beauty concerns that you think Latinas deal with?
"I think we have more hair, and it's not growing in the parts that we want. So, we have to prevent that and ingrown hairs. We also have a lot of breakouts, so we have to exfoliate. I recommend it once or twice a week, followed by my moisturizer and, of course, sunscreen. Also Latina women tend to wear more makeup, so they have to be aware that they have to remove everything at night. I didn't do it when I was younger, but I have to be more conscious now that I am older and I know better. It’s so important to remove everything from the face before going to sleep, get a good moisturizer, and then, of course, put sunscreen on the skin every day."