Stay Sun-safe this Summer!

It’s natural to want to get out in the sun during warm summer days. It should also be second nature to take steps to protect your skin and your children’ skin from the sun when you go outside.

Ultraviolet (UV) rays – from the sun and other sources like tanning beds are the first cause of skin cancer. Too much exposure can also cause sunburn, eye damage, and premature wrinkles. But shielding your skin with clothing, broad-spectrum sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, and staying in the shade can help lower your risk. Children’ skin is even more sensitive to that and it is important to protect them well from the sun.

Take these steps to stay sun-safe:

• Cover up: When you are out in the sun, wear clothing and a wide-brimmed hat to protect as much skin as possible. Protect your eyes and your children's eyes with sunglasses that block at least 99% of UV light.
• When you go to the beach or the swimming pool, make your children wear our UV swimwear which block 98% of UVA/UVB rays.
• Use a UV hat for your children
• Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher and 50 for your children: Reapply at least every 2 hours, as well as after swimming or sweating. 
• Seek shade: Limit direct exposure to the sun, especially between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are strongest.
• Avoid tanning beds and sunlamps: Both can cause serious long-term skin damage and contribute to skin cancer.

Choosing the right sunscreen

Sunscreen is a must-have for summer and it has to be used. Indeed, summer days are long, the sun is strong and it is easier than the rest of the year to spend more time outdoors. When choosing sunscreen, read the label before you buy. US Food and Drug Administration regulations require the labels to follow certain guidelines:

• Choose a sunscreen with “broad-spectrum” protection. Sunscreens with this label protect against both UVA and UVB rays. All sunscreen products protect against UVB rays, which are the main cause of sunburn. But UVA rays also contribute to skin cancer and premature aging. Only products that pass a test can be labeled “broad spectrum.” Products that aren’t broad spectrum must carry a warning that they only protect against sunburn, not skin cancer or skin aging.
• Choose a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of at least 30 for an adult and 50 for a kid. The SPF number is the level of protection the sunscreen provides against UVB rays. Higher SPF numbers do mean more protection, but the higher you go, the smaller the difference becomes. SPF 15 sunscreens filter out about 93% of UVB rays, while SPF 30 sunscreens filter out about 97%; SPF 50 sunscreens filter about 98%, and SPF 100 filter about 99%. No sunscreen protects you completely. The FDA requires any sunscreen with an SPF below 15 to carry a warning that it only protects against sunburn, not skin cancer or skin aging.
• “Water resistant” does not mean “waterproof.” No sunscreens are waterproof or “sweatproof,” and manufacturers are not allowed to claim that they are. If a product’s front label makes claims of being water resistant, it must specify whether it lasts for 40 minutes or 80 minutes while swimming or sweating. For best results, reapply sunscreen at least every 2 hours and even more often if you are swimming or sweating. Sunscreen usually rubs off when you towel yourself dry, so you will need to put more on.

With Elly la Fripouille’s UV swimwear and a good sunscreen, you’ll keep your children stylish and well protected from the sun!

Source: cancer.org