It's been really, stinky hot here in Brisbane of late. The slightly darker colour of my right arm has prompted me to write a note on sun protection.Sun damage plays a big part in ageing our skin and puts us at risk of developing skin cancers. It is not enough to simply pop on sunscreen.
Try to do the following during your everyday activities.
-Seek shade whenever you can. If you stop and talk to a friend or neighbour. Then move into the shade. If you are going to the beach for the day. Pick a spot near a tree for shelter or take a pop up shelter.
-Put on a broad brim hat every single time you go outside. Getting the mail, walking to the bus, through a shopping centre car park. All the small daily bits of exposure add up.
-Carry an umbrella to use if you are walking in the sun.
-Wear long sleeves if you are going to be out in the sun. Cover your arms if you are out for extended periods of time.
-Wear sunglasses and encourage children to wear them too. UV radiation is damaging to eyes too.
-Use these precautions even on cloudy days the UV index can still be high.
When you do put on sunscreen make sure it is broad spectrum for UVA and UVB rays with a minimum of SPF30. There are a lot of make-up products on the market that claim to have sun protection but many are not broad spectrum and only have SPF15. So read the label. There are even some suitable tinted sunscreens for sale in the supermarket now. These are great to use under make-up. I really like the product I sell because it has a lovely slight tint and does not smell like sunscreen. That is a big deal breaker for me for anything I put on my face- the smell.
*Spray tan does not provide sun protection. If you are worried about rubbing off your tan by applying sunscreen, then use a clear spray on sunscreen. You can pick these up in supermarkets and pharmacies too.
SO please, please, please keep sun protection in mind this summer. The Cancer Council has lots of information on their website regarding being sun smart and prevention for cancer - so take a look at that too..