SUN CARE AND HEALTHY PREVENTION HABITS

 

    Now that the weather is turning warmer, and the sunny days are longer, many people will want to spend more time outdoors. The warmth of the sun, the newly blooming flowers, and the ability to be outside for several hours is alluring to most people. Although a little sun is a great source of Vitamin D for bodies, the stress that sun causes for skin can be very damaging. At the very least, sun exposure causes skin to dry and wrinkle, and at the worst, sun can cause skin cancer. None of us want to relinquish our time outdoors, but precaution can help to develop healthy skin care habits.

 

Here are some helpful tips for preventing dry skin and for exercising skin care while in the sun.

 

1. Wear a sunscreen with a SPF of 30 or more every time you are in the sun. Use a skin moisturizer with a SPF of 15 or more, and for those who wear make-up, choose brands with a SPF of 15 or more. For prolonged outdoor activities, use a sunscreen of 60 or more. Remember to reapply all sunscreen every two hours for the maximum benefit.

    

2. Cover your body when in the sun, during outdoor activities, and even on cloudy days. The sun’s rays penetrate clouds, and you still need covering and sunscreen. Wear a hat every time you are in the sun, and for prolonged periods, wear clothing with SPF in the materials.

    

3. Wear sunglasses every day during all seasons for protection of the eyes from sun damage. The most protective sunglasses are polarized and have UV protection. Never look directly at the sun as this may cause severe damage to the eyes.

    

4. Stay away from tanning parlors and prolonged outdoor tanning as these both lead to damaged skin, dehydrated skin, wrinkles, and possibly skin cancer. If you need to look tanned, opt for artificial tanning products, and spray tans. You also have the choice to be comfortable in natural skin without a tan.

    

5. Seek shade whenever possible or provide your own shade with an umbrella, tent, or other device if necessary. Being in the shade will keep you cooler, enable you to stay outside longer, and give your skin a natural protection from the sun. However, you will still need sunscreen even if you are in the shade.

    

Know the environmental risks around you, such as higher altitude, geographical proximity to the equator, and urban environments. Each of these factors allows your body to have less protection from the sun’s damaging rays. As global warming becomes more prevalent, every area on the globe will have increased sun exposure.

This entry was posted on Thursday, July 1st, 2010 at 2:50 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.