Types of Sun Protection
From LoveToKnow Skincare
Twenty years ago, the last thing people would think of before heading out to the beach was avoiding the sun's rays, but today it is important to know the types of sun protection available. In years past, beach-goers would spend the whole day on the beach without worrying much about sun exposure. The worst thing that people believed could happen would be sunburn, and that was for the fair-skinned people to worry about. In recent years however, the trend has steered away from hours of sunbathing and bronzed bodies and more towards protecting ourselves from the sun. After all, skin cancer, namely Melanoma, is of concern to everyone.
The sun is at its strongest between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm. Of course these are also the times sun worshippers like to converge upon the beach. Fortunately, there are many ways to protect yourself from the sun and still enjoy a fun day at the seashore.
Sun Block
Applying sun block is the single most important thing you can do before venturing out into the sun anywhere, let alone at the beach. In order to adequately protect your skin from the sun's harmful rays, it's recommended you use a sun block or with an SPF of 15 or higher. You can also use a sun screen to protect your skin from the sun, but it's not as beneficial as sun block. As its name suggests, sun block "blocks" the sun's rays from penetrating the skin, while a sun screen just makes it a little less easy for the skin to be exposed.
Physical Types of Sun Protection
Hat and Sunglasses
Using a hat with a wide brim is essential in protecting your face, ears and neck from the sun. Sunglasses should also be worn to protect the eyes and the skin around them. Not only is skin cancer an issue, but the sun dries out the skin and too much exposure can give it a wrinkly, leathery appearance. Eyes that spend too much time in the sun are in danger of cataracts too. Make sure to choose sunglasses with UV protection since all shades are not created equal.
Seek Shade
Whenever possible, relax in the shade instead of directly in the sun. A tree, a beach shelter or beach umbrella is perfect for keeping out of direct sunlight. Even if you want to spend a little bit of your time to sun bathing, it's best to keep it at a minimum and after about thirty to sixty minutes in the sun, with an SPF of 15 or higher, it's time to seek shelter.
Cover Up
If you don't have access to shade, it's best to cover up. Put on loose, light weight clothing, enough to cover the skin. While the fabric should be light enough to keep you cool during the hot weather, it should also be tightly woven so the sun's rays don't break through. If you don't have long enough clothes to cover your exposed skin after prolonged exposure to the skin, use a towel, your beach blanket or leave the beach and seek shelter.
In addition, look for sun protection clothing with built in SPF. Several lines of clothing are now offering hats, shirts and other clothing items with sunscreen.
Prioritize Sun Exposure
We're all used to seeing tanned models and movie stars. As much as we love to emulate the beautiful people, the fact of the matter is it's dangerous and unhealthy. If you don't wish to be seen with pale skin, consider using a bronzing lotion or powder. This will allow your skin to look tan without exposing it to the sun's harmful rays.
The next time you're thinking of lying out in the sun for a few hours; ask yourself what is more important, healthy skin or a sun tan.
By Deb Ng
This page has been accessed 120 times. This page was last modified 05:54, 31 December 2007.
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