5 Essential Elements for Skin Protection During the Summer
The weather is warming up and it’s time to pull the shorts out! Now is the time to start thinking about your skin care plan. From sunburns to tick and mosquito bites, these essential elements will help you with skin protection during the summer months.
When the kids jump off the bus on the last day of school, summer begins. Sprinklers come out, bikes are laying on the lawn, chalk pictures line the driveway and we live our days outside. Just in the last few weeks, our days have been moving non stop. We are trying to squeeze all of our summertime bucket list items in as quickly as possible.
Our favorite thing to do during the summer is swim at the pool with a cool smoothie pop treat and play outside in the yard. For me, it’s relaxing and for the kids, it’s a great way to burn energy for a good nights sleep.
This past weekend, we spent a day out at our local water park. The sun was scorching with a heat index of 105! It was the perfect adventure for a fun day with the family.
Are you at risk?
Growing up, I learned several hard lessons about the sun. Having blonde hair and blue eyes may have it’s perks, but when it comes to sunburns, my luck is against me. Unfortunately, as cute as they are, my two children have inherited the same genetics.
Did you know that fair skin, light hair color and light eye color provide less protection against damaging UV rays?
Melanoma is the leading cause of cancer death in women 25 to 30 years old and the second leading cause of cancer death in women 30 to 35 years old. – Source (http://www.melanoma.org/)
Take Care of Your Skin!
As summer approaches, I prepare my family for fun and for safety. I know how important it is to make skin protection a priority.
Here are a few tips on how to protect yourself and your family during the summer months:
- Apply sunscreen to all exposed skin, even on cloudy days, all year round.
- Use a sunscreen that provides broad spectrum protection from both UVA and UVB rays and has a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30.
- Be sure to apply 1 ounce (2 tablespoons) of sunscreen to you and your kids’ entire bodies 30 minutes before going outside and reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or excessive sweating.
- Wear protective clothing when possible, like a wide-brimmed hat, sunglasses, long sleeve shirts, etc.
- Bug spray! Because summer time adventures don’t always mean the pool. If you are heading out to the park, playing out in the yard, it’s important to protect yourself against tick and mosquito bites.
While the best skin protection is to stay indoors, we know that things like family gatherings, theme park adventures, swimming and life will bring us outdoors in the summer.
What are your plans for the summer?
