When packing for your holiday, it’s important to remember to include items to help protect you from the sun. In all of your excitement, staying protected may be the last thing on your mind, as you frenziedly pack as many bikinis, pair of shorts, and flip flops as you can into your suitcase, before inevitably having to sit on the lid to close it.
Sun protection is vital to prevent you from burning. Excessive burning is not only painful (I’m speaking from personal experience here) it can also be harmful to your body. Excessive amount of time in the sun is one of the biggest causes of skin cancer. Not only that; spending a lot of time in the sun dehydrates your skin, making it leathery and wrinkles appear much earlier on in life. So what does sun protection involve exactly? Read on for our helpful guide to staying protected in the sun.
1) Suncream: the best way to help protect your skin in the sun is to use suncream. Available in a range of strengths to best suit your skin type, it’s important to choose the right factor to protect from harmful rays. If taking babies and children on holiday make sure you buy specially designed suncream for kids: it’s usually of a much thicker consistency and of a very high factor to help protect their delicate skin. If your kids are in and out of the water all day, buy a waterproof cream to give them a little bit longer protected playing time. It’s also important to keep re-applying at regular intervals throughout the day for better protection. You can also buy sun protection in the form of a spray, which is usually lighter in consistency and rubs in a lot easier; however, the higher factors will always be cream-based as it provides the best protection. You may not enjoy looking white all over after applying it, but you’ll enjoy the lobster look far less, trust me.
2) Stay hydrated: when the weather’s hotter, you’re likely to be extra thirsty. It’s important to consider your choice of drink carefully. Anything fizzy and caffeinated, such as cola, is a big no-no. This drink is what’s known as a diuretic; it makes you need the toilet more often, thus leaving you thirstier and removing more essential water from your body. Stay hydrated best with water. This will help your skin retain its natural moisture and elasticity, and prevent it from becoming parched and drying out in hotter climes.
3) Hats and T-shirts: However silly you may feel, wear a big hat to help shield the sun from your eyes and prevent the delicate skin on your face from burning. Avoid wearing sunglasses in the swimming pool, as the sun’s heat will reflect off the water and go straight towards your face. Take it from someone who’s been there; the red raw burnt face with white sunglasses mark is so not a good look. If you’re going to be in the pool a long time, wear a t-shirt over your costume to protect your shoulders from burning. After getting out of the pool, ensure you dry yourself fully with a towel and apply more suncream. Lying back in your sun lounger and letting yourself dry off naturally will leave you with red burny marks.
4) It doesn’t have to be hot to burn: believe it or not, you don’t have to feel the heat in order to burn. It’s possible to get sunburnt on a bright day; it’s the rays from the sun that burn your skin, regardless of how hot the temperature outside is. Remember to stay protected even if you’re in the UK. Those with sensitive skin especially will still have to wear suncream if they want to avoid getting sunburnt. All it takes is an afternoon sitting out in the garden for you to be left with attractive red burn marks all over your body.
Staying protected in the sun is important. Follow my guide to ensure that you remain burn free on your holidays. Being sensible with sun protection will allow you to properly enjoy yourself. Waking up with sunburn on your second day will only ruin the rest of your holiday.
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- License: Creative Commons image source
This guest blog was contributed by Janice Sanders a freelance travel writer, who wants to help you find the perfect holiday for you, whether discovery cruises or citybreaks
