Tips to help protect yourself from the sun #summertime #sunprotection
Summer is officially here and we are spending a lot more time outside. Skin cancer is a scary thing to deal with! I have several people close to me who have had cancer removed, so protecting my skin – and my boy’s skin – from the sun is a top priority year-round, and especially during the summer.
We go about protecting ourselves in a few ways:
1. Sunscreen. I’ve started using the Ava line and I’m a fan. It’s different (it sits on top of the skin and you have to work to get it to absorb), but it’s healthier. Fewer chemicals. It works. I used it on our son when we were in eastern NC and outside a LOT. He didn’t get any burns!
2. Hats. We all have hats to protect our heads and keep the sun off our faces. (I still put sunscreen on faces, even with a hat!)
3. Sunglasses. I love sunglasses. I wear them year-round, and we have multiple pairs for our son. I like for him to wear sunglasses, even with a hat since the sun will reflect off of water and can harm his eyes.
4. Cover-ups. I have beach coverups because I know I’m going to miss a spot with the sunscreen! My son typically wears a rash guard in the pool or at the beach. He doesn’t overheat, and it keeps his body safe from harmful rays.
5. Umbrellas. I received this RIO Total Sun Block Extreme umbrella recently. I’m such a fan! It’s so big, and it’s perfect for a beach day or just in the back yard. The 9-foot umbrella allows for so much shade and it can be used as a standing umbrella or a leaning shelter. (I prefer to use it as a leaning shelter.) This particular umbrella blocks 99.8% of UVA and UVB rays.
My mom actually tested the umbrella at the beach. I’ve used the umbrella in our yard when the sun is blasting down. It’s large and my son thought it was a tent (like a camping tent.) He was pretty excited about it. When I set it up, I was able to prop it on the ground and anchor it from being blown away. My mom used the sand grabber at the beach, and it didn’t hold up well against wind gusts. It’s huge though (9 feet) so if you have little wind or are able to anchor it in the ground, it’s well worth the purchase.
*Disclosure- I received the the RIO Total Sun Block Extreme umbrella for the purpose of this review. All opinions are my own, based on my experience with the product, and have not been influenced by promotional items.
What other tips do you have to stay protected from the sun?
I recently bought one of these and LOVE it! The older I get the more I burn!
Don’t forget to cover your shoulders. Any clothing is better than none for protecting you from UV rays.
Oh definitely! And I need to keep reminding myself this, especially when I’m out for a run.
You about covered it all–I definitely would like that umbrella! My Mom has had skin cancer on her forehead several times so really make sure that sun block is all over your face (and nose) and wear a large brimmed hat!
These are some great summer time tips! Caring about your skin, and sun exposure, is important, especially for young children!
I always make sure that I am prepared to protect our skin from the sun. I burn so easily and don’t want to expose my skin to the sun.
Great tips, I have my hat, glasses, sunscreen. .need an umbrella lol thanks for sharing
I love wearing 3/4 length sun shirts that protect from the sun and look good! I also wear swim capris when at the ocean. I’m a freak about protecting my skin from the sun!
Thees are all awesome sun protection tips and I do hope people will follow them. We need to keep our kids from getting sunburn or worse.
I prefer barrier sun blocks like you mentioned. Many of the chemicals are not good for us. I also do long sleeves as well.
I prefer barrier sun block because many of the chemicals that are in the others aren’t healthy and may be mutagenic which is not good in my opinion.