Protecting your skin from the sun is important, both while you’re on your Easter vacation and in your day-to-day life. The sun can do more damage than give you a painful and shocking sunburn, and prolonged sun exposure can cause brown spots, red scaly spots, drying, wrinkling and skin cancer. Avoiding the sun however is difficult, and despite the increasingly well-known dangers of sun exposure, there are still many people who do not take precautions when it comes to protecting our skin.
To help you protect yourself and your family from sun damage on your next holiday, when your children are playing out in the garden, or if you’re simply cooling off in your pool, here are some ways you can minimize sun exposure to ensure you safely spend time outdoors:
Cover Up
One of the best ways to avoid sun burn and skin damage is to cover up. The sun’s rays are at their most intense at midday, so if you’re out and about – whether having lunch outside at a restaurant or sight-seeing – cover up when you can. Choose to wear a hat to protect your head and face and shirts that have sleeves to protect your shoulders. It’s good to know that hats a clothing which are made from darker, tightly woven materials tend to absorb ultraviolet light better than cotton fabrics in lighter colours, as well as dry fabrics offer better protection than those that are wet.
High Factor Sunscreen or Sun Block
Wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher (preferably higher) and be sure to spread it on as thick as possible – without leaving patches. Not applying enough sunscreen will reduce the product’s effectiveness by as much as 50%, meaning you could still end up burned and sore after a long day on the beach. For those who will be swimming, it’s advisable to invest in waterproof sunscreen so it does not wash off as soon as you dive in. For days when you may be more active, choose to use sun block. Sun blocks tend to include the likes of titanium dioxide or zinc oxide in order to make it last longer, and they are also more water resistant. It’s also advisable to apply your sunscreen or sun block as early and as often (every two hours) as possible, this is to ensure that your skin absorbs it fully. For those with fairer skin, you might even want to start preparing your skin the night before. This can be done by applying your choice of sunscreen or sun block after your evening bath and before you go to bed, as well as reapplying it the next morning.
Don’t be Fooled by the Weather
Just because it is cloudy and cool outside, does not mean that do not need to take the usual precautions to protect your skin. Damaging rays are not inhibited by clouds, and you can still get badly sun burned. This is because ultraviolet light penetrates through the layers of cloud cover. This goes for snowy conditions too. If you have chosen to spend your Easter holiday skiing, remember that high altitudes, high winds and white snow is a painful combination you want to protect your skin from. Wear the right type of gear (covering up as much of your body as possible), wear sunglasses and rub in that sun screen.
The above tips are only three important ways you can protect your skin from getting burned and damaged, ensuring that it stays healthy and youthful for longer.