With warm weather finally arriving and sunny days hopefully here to stay for the next few months, many of us will be spending more time outside. No matter if it’s in our gardens, local parks, just walking around our city or at the beach, protecting your skin this summer is vital. This goes for your whole family. Nobody is immune to the effects of the sun and the damage it can cause your skin, so it’s vital to remember how best to protect your families skin this summer.
To help us with this, we have partnered with Aesthetics Lab, an award-winning cosmetic clinic that has a deep understanding of skin health and how best to look after our skin all year round.
Coverage is key
Regardless of if you’re talking about children or adults, coverage is key to protecting your skin this summer. You need to be mindful about how much time your skin is directly exposed to the sun, even when using the appropriate sun protection. There are certain areas on all of us that you need to remember to cover when possible. The back of your neck, forearms and even your feet can all get badly burnt because they are out in the open for extended periods of time, especially when it’s hot.
For all members of your family, think about wearing lightweight long-sleeved shirts with collars. This can help provide some extra coverage when needed! If you do spend time this summer swimming, remember that you can still get sunburnt through the water. Around 40% of UV light will still reach you even when you’re half a meter below the surface of the water. Because the water is often cool, it’s easy to forget you’re still at risk, so it’s worth having a t-shirt that you can wear in the water when needed to give your skin some extra protection.
Understanding your sunscreen protection
It’s essential to understand exactly how sunscreen works and how it can help your family. There is a huge amount of information about this online but there a few key things to remember. Firstly, applying sunscreen once a day if you’re going to be outside for multiple hours it’s not enough. You need to be reapplying sunscreen on all members of your family every two hours. If you have very young children, especially those under six months, their skin is very sensitive. Therefore, you should avoid using sunscreen on them and instead kept them out of direct sunlight with appropriate clothing and shades.
If you’re going to be going in and out of the water, such as at the beach or an outdoor swimming pool, using water-resistant sunscreen is crucial. Even when this is used, it’s crucial to reapply your sunscreen when you get out of the water to ensure the best possible protection. Don’t forget that even when it’s cloudy, 80% of the sun’s UV radiation still penetrates the clouds and reaches the earth’s surface, so it’s essential to use sunscreen even when it’s cloudy.
Hydration is crucial
Keeping your skin protected this summer is more than just covering up from the sun and wearing the right sun protection. You can do lots of different things to ensure your skin is as healthy as possible before you even step foot outside this summer. Making sure you and your skin are as hydrated as possible is really important. Being in the sun will dry out your skin, and if your skin is already dry from inadequate hydration, this will only make it worse. Drinking enough fluids is really important for your children, and don’t forget about moisturisers that you can rub into your skin to keep it hydrated.
Get in the shade when you can
While we all look forward to the sunshine and warm days during the dark and cold days of winter, taking some time to get in the shade when possible is always a good idea. If you’re out at the beach or local park, take a sunshade so you can create your own source of shade. While your kids may want to be in the sun as much as possible, having periods of time where they can sit in the shade will help protect them.
Taking the necessary steps to protect your families skin this summer will allow you all to enjoy the nice weather (hopefully) safely and help form good habits for skincare that, hopefully, your children will continue the rest of their lives. While we would all like a lovely tan, remember that getting sunburnt can cause serious skin issues in both the short and long term so take care when out in the sun this summer.
Nb. Collaborative post.
Leave a Comment