Bring Out The Sunscreen...It's A Hot One!

The summer has finally kicked in. It's early July and it is burning hot and we're finally feeling the heat. Well when you feel heat, you want to dress less. Actually you should cover up...with a long sleeve shirt, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen. While that is not always practical, sunscreen is a must. Yes, we all need sun exposure as it's our source of vitamin D which helps us absorb calcium, but too much unprotected exposure to the sun's ultraviolet rays can cause skin and eye damage and even cancer.

- Avoid being out in the sun when it's at it strongest. Usually 10:00 AM - 4:00 PM.
- Always wear protective sunscreen even on cloudy days as the ultraviolet rays can still penetrate through the clouds or reflect off the water or sand. Along with sunscreen, wear a hat and sunglasses.
- Apply sunscreen often especially after swimming, vigorous exercising etc.

There are many different types of sunscreen to choose from and different SPF (Sun Protection Factor) levels. The higher the SPF number, the more protection you will receive. It also tells how much longer you can stay in the sun without burning. So a SPF of 30 will give you 30 times the protection.

Go out there and soak up the sun, but don't forget to be smart.

Don't get burned!