It’s the season to enjoy the great outdoors. Warmer temperatures and longer days invite you to soak up the sun like a Sheryl Crow tune.
However, too much exposure to our celestial neighbor and source of life can leave you with burns. Worse, it increases your cancer risk. Fortunately, you can protect yourself with the following five sun safety tips for summertime.
Stay Made in the Shade
You don’t have to stand in direct sunlight to reap the benefits of the outdoors. Doing so might leave you feeling more like a wilted daisy than an energized human being.
When you head outdoors, seek facilities that offer sun cover for you and your little ones. For example, playground canopies can keep play areas as much as 20 degrees cooler and prevent your little one from burning their paws on scorching-hot metal monkey bars.
Covered areas also offer another way to knock high summer temperatures down a few degrees. Installing a misting system around your outdoor patio or deck cools you off if you live in an arid climate, although they won’t help much when humidity soars. You can also mount ceiling fans on covered outdoor spaces to keep a breeze circulating, making you more comfortable.
Wear Sunscreen
Wearing sunscreen is more important today than ever before in history. The reality of ozone depletion means your skin faces stronger UV radiation than before.
You’ll find no shortage of options on store shelves. What should you look for? Mineral-based sunscreens are generally more natural and non-toxic than their chemical counterparts.
These often use zinc oxide and titanium dioxide to protect your skin from damaging rays. They act like millions of tiny mirrors, reflecting UV radiation instead of absorbing it, causing damage. Many moms feel safer using these products on their infants instead of chemicals they might struggle to pronounce.
However, it isn’t sufficient to slather on cream in the morning and then forget it. Ideally, you should reapply sunscreen every two hours. You can safely bend this rule if you spend the morning inside working at your desk, but you may need more frequent applications if you’re swimming or exercising up a mean lather.
Learn the Signs of Heat-Related Illness
Heat-related illnesses pose serious threats in the warm months. These can cause brain injury and even death. Learning the signs and taking preventative actions before the situation becomes dire is your best bet for positive health outcomes. Here’s what you should look for in yourself or your child:
● Heavy sweating: This sign often appears first. However, as heat exhaustion progresses to heat stroke, perspiration may stop as the skin grows hot and dry.
● Cold, pale, and clammy skin: Again, this may become hot and dry as severity progresses.
● Rapid pulse
● Nausea and vomiting
● Headache
● Tiredness or weakness
● Dizziness
● Confusion
● Loss of consciousness
Stop any physical activity immediately and move to a cooler area at the first sign of heat-related illness. You can remove clothing and apply cool, damp cloths to lower the person’s internal body temperature, adding a fan to keep the air moving if available.
Should you drink? It depends. If you’re still in the heat exhaustion stage, it’s fine to sip on cool — not cold — water. However, hold off if you’re nauseous, as vomiting can dehydrate you more.
It’s also critical to stay hydrated during the warmer months. Please carry a reusable water bottle with you and get your kids in the habit, providing them with fun stickers and charms to make their vessel unique and playful.
Protect Your Peepers
Your skin isn’t the only organ that can suffer damage from too much sun exposure. UV radiation increases your chances of developing age-related macular degeneration and cataracts. You should make efforts to protect your peepers.
Perhaps the easiest method is to invest in a wide-brimmed hat that provides natural shade. Double up with sunglasses that block damaging UVA and UVB radiation. You should never look directly at the sun, even as it sets — doing so can damage your cornea.
Tend to Sunburned Skin
Sunburn isn’t always an inevitable part of summer, but knowing how to treat it is a vital sun safety tip. Blistering burns increase your chances of developing skin cancer later in life — and they hurt like the dickens right now. Putting on a bra can prove downright painful.
Your best natural remedy for sunburn relief is probably aloe vera. You can find the gel over-the-counter, but you can go even more primitive if you have a plant. Simply break off a leaf and squeeze the contents onto the inflamed area.
Honey is another salve to try, particularly if you blister. The sticky stuff contains potent antimicrobial action to protect your healing skin from germs. Mixing baking soda or cornstarch with water to create a paste can minimize friction between your skin and your clothes, although you might look a bit snowy as it dries and flakes off.
Sun Safety Tips for Summertime
Summertime means a return to fun in the sun. While the warmth can feel glorious, it can lead to painful burns or worse.
Follow the above five sun safety tips for summertime. You’ll enjoy this beautiful season while safeguarding your health.
