Sure Way To Keep Your Skin Healthy in the Summer Sun
No matter your age, nationality, skin-type, or gender, everyone needs to take care of his or her skin! The skin is the largest organ of the human body, and needs to be nourished and cared for the same way the rest of the body does.
During the summer, it’s easy to forget the sunscreen when heading out for a day at the beach or some time in the pool. Some people don’t even realize that you can get a sun burn during other seasons as well.
In recent years, doctors have determined that skin cancer is one of the most commonly occurring cancers in the United States. In fact, there were 5.4 million new recorded cases of skin cancer in the US in 2012 alone. Skin cancer is silent but definitely deadly – it can take years to manifest itself, and can be tricky to catch. Save yourself the worry and make a few simple adjustments to your routine and lifestyle to avoid the risk of skin cancer all year long, and stay sunburn-free!
When you get a sunburn, you skin becomes extremely dehydrated and dry. Not to mention, it hurts! The fact is, it only takes one deep sunburn to cause skin cancer.
Sunburns can cause severe damage to your skin the same way any other burn can.
Luckily, there are lots of preemptive measures you can take to avoid the hassle and keep your skin healthy and burn-free. If you do end up with a burn, COUI’s Phytemanteu Day Cream is full of Aloe Vera Extract, Mango seed butters, and oils of Jojoba, Rosehip Seed, Sesame Seed, Sweet Almond, and Avocado, which penetrate into the skin and provide deep moisture.
Obviously, the first step to avoiding sun damage is staying out of the sun! The sun is at its most intense from 10 am to approximately 4 pm. If you’re out and about during this time frame, make sure you try to stay in the shade and keep your skin covered.
Here’s a tip for choosing a shady spot that will actually keep your skin safe: if the shadow is longer than the length of your body, you are in a low UV-exposure area, whereas if it is shorter, you are still vulnerable.
Hats, sunglasses, long-sleeves, and loose fitting clothing that covers arms and legs are great for protecting skin. Still, it can be tricky to find clothing that keeps your skin safe but also keep you from having a heatstroke.
It gets hot in the summertime, and the last thing you probably want to be wearing is a sweater or a pair of jeans. Don’t worry - you don’t have to forego the bikini to keep your skin protected!
There are lots of different types of sun blocks and sunscreens out there to suit your needs. Sun blocks work by reflecting the light and directing it away from your skin. It’s important to check out the SPF number on the bottle, which determines the blockage of UV rays, before you buy.
Look for a product with an SPF rating of 15 and over for sufficient UVB protection.
Try to find one that says “broad spectrum” on the bottle, which means it blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
Always follow the directions on the bottle and make sure to have someone help you with your back, the backs of your legs, tops of your feet, and other difficult-to-reach areas. People tend to forget to cover their faces sufficiently – this skin on your face, including lips and eyelids, is especially sensitive and prone to burning.
If your skin is generally very sensitive, there are sun blocks available which are free of aminobenzoic acids, perfumes, and alcohols. Always make sure to reapply every two hours.
There are supplementary products outside of sun block that can prevent sun burn.
Lip balms keep lips hydrated and protected from the sun. There are even types of concealers and foundations which contain built-in sunscreens. For example, many CC creams that contain SPF 50 can be applied to the sensitive skin on your face for extra protection!
Sunscreen of some kind should technically be worn every day – not just when the sun is at its hottest and brightest. If you don’t like standard sun blocks, which can be heavily perfumed and thick, Glossier makes a daily use, broad spectrum, invisible mist sun screen with SPF 15. It mists onto your skin lightly and is hardly noticeable while providing the protection you need.
Many people believe using a tanning bed is a safer alternative to tanning in the sun. Unfortunately, this isn’t true.
Artificial tanning devices can cause skin damage and skin cancer.
While a natural, or “base,” tan is considered to be somewhat of a protective layer on your skin, it actually only provides about SPF 3 worth of blockage.
Tanning beds utilize the damaging UVA and UVB rays in their bulbs that sun screens protect against in a concentrated way. Often, tanning beds actually emit UVA at three times the intensity of the sun. That’s some serious damage! Ultimately, it’s even more unsafe to use a tanning bed than it is to tan in natural sunlight.
It can be tricky to remember to keep your skin covered and protected every day. People tend to forget how important it is to take the necessary precautions to prevent sun burn and skin damage, especially outside of summertime. Keeping your skin hydrated and sun-safe comes with an array of benefits, like younger, softer, wrinkle-free skin! Varying degrees of sun burns and skin cancer are serious repercussions to skipping the sun screen. Fortunately, they can be avoided with a few simple adjustments to your daily routine.
