Staying Safe in the Sun

The sun is warm and wonderful when it’s shining down on us, and with some forethought and care we should be able to enjoy it to the full without being burnt or permanently damaged by it. However, the sun’s UV rays can be incredibly harmful and cause skin cancer.

Here are some tips about suncare:

• Avoid the strongest rays of the day and long periods in the sun, so from 11am to 3 pm find shade, rest inside or find some shelter. Alternatively, if you don’t have a choice, put on a higher factor sunscreen.
• Keep covered up – even a t-shirt can lose up to half its UV protection when wet, so always cover up with some dry clothes after venturing into the water.
• Cloudy days are deceptive – UV rays can travel through clouds too, and especially with wind, you might not notice the heat or the rays, so keep an eye out.
• Make sure you use a sunscreen that offers both UVA and UVB protection and one that is waterproof.
• Comfortable sunglasses that wrap round are ideal for protecting eyes, and make sure you’re more likely to keep them on. Sunhats with fabric that covers your ears and neck are also great at keeping the sun off the bits more likely to burn and harder to reach with the sunscreen.
• Cover up at the slightest hint of it getting hot – better to be safe than be burnt and it ruin your day.

Experts recommend you use SPF 30, 40 or even 50 on children. Choose a coloured spray so it makes the application process more fun for them, and you can ensure you have total coverage.

Reapply sunscreen every 2-3 hours, apply generously and don’t forget your lips, face, hands, ears, neck and feet!

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