Happy summer solstice! Today marks the first official day of summer, and the longest, sunniest day of the year.
Before you get too excited about all that extra sunshine, you should know that I’m here to kill your summer tan buzz with a quick brush up on your sun protection guidelines.
In the middle of a beautiful summer day, most people don’t want to stop and think about things like sunscreen, but sadly there’s a price to pay for too much fun in the sun. It’s called skin cancer, and yes, I am going to rain on your summer sun parade (and you should still wear sunscreen because clouds don’t block UV rays).
While we all have different UV ray tolerances when it comes to sunburn, the fact is sun protection is something we all need to keep in mind. If you’re not sure whether you should take the time to protect your skin, here’s a quick guide to help you figure it out.
- Is it daytime?
- Is it sunny, cloudy, mostly cloudy, partly cloudy, slightly rainy, really rainy, or any other kind of weather?
- Are you outside?
If you answered yes to all three, then you should protect your skin from UV rays. Not sure what that means? That means protective clothing, hats, sunglasses, and sunscreen.
I know. I know. It’s a pain, and even the pastiest among us dread the sunscreen application (guilty), but your future-self will thank you. And to those of you revving up with your “but vitamin D” comeback, most experts agree that the damage caused by UVB rays far outweighs the benefits of vitamin D created by sun exposure. So, maybe find your vitamin D elsewhere.
In conclusion, go out there, enjoy the summer, just remember to be safe in the sun…and reapply…after sweating or swimming…or every 80-120 minutes…whichever comes first…now go have fun.
…just for fun:
Be the ginger…
Advertisements
