Protecting Yourself in the Summer Sun
By Orla, July 10, 2015
It’s that time of year again. Summer sun, ice cream and most importantly, holidays!
With the great excitement of the warm weather comes the responsibility of protecting your skin and health against the damaging effects of the sun.
How to Protect Your Skin
Use an appropriate SPF
Factor 6 isn’t going to do much to protect your skin against harmful UVA and UVB rays, nor is tanning oil. It’s recommended that you wear a reputable SPF 15 sun cream and re-apply it every two hours. Make sure it protects against UVA and UVB rays.
Don’t just put sun cream where you can see
Fabrics move as you wear them and you might change your clothes later without realising that you hadn’t applied any suncream to the areas that were previously covered. You should get in the habit of applying sun cream head to toe every time. And don’t forget areas like your scalp, ears, nose and feet!
Get a sun hat
Luckily for us ladies, straw sun hats are all in this season! They are a great way of covering your scalp, face and shoulders during peak hours when the sun is at its strongest. Plus, you’ll look fabulous wearing it. Same goes for men!
Avoid peak hours
If you’re a fan of sunbathing, try to avoid the peak hours of 12.00 – 3.00pm as you’re much more likely to burn, rather than tan, during these hours.
Seek shade if it’s getting too much
Heading for a walk? Lounging by the pool? Try to spend some time in the shaded areas when you’re outside for prolonged periods of time.
Don’t chance it
Just because it’s clouded over and the sun doesn’t appear to be beaming down, or because you’re not actually outside you’re in a car, doesn’t mean you’re safe from harmful UVA and UVB rays. You should be sun creamed up and/or covered up at all times.
Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate
And sadly no, cocktails by the pool don’t count. It’s so important to keep hydrated with lots of water when you’re out in the sun. Not just for your skin, for your overall health as well.
Go inside and check for sunburn
It can be very hard to tell if your skin is burning when you’re out in the sunlight, head inside to artificial light every so often to check if you’re starting to burn.
The sun can be beneficial for you, supplying lots of vitamin D and feel good vibes, but never forget that it can be malicious as well. Protect yourself and help to prevent skin cancer, sun burn, peeling skin and more.
