Protect Your Skin From Summer Sun
Get outdoors and enjoy all the fun that good weather brings but be sure to stay safe from the sun’s powerful rays. Not only is it important to protect your skin at the beach, but anytime you’re outdoors running, playing tennis, swimming, biking or exercising.
Did you know skin is the body’s largest organ? So just like you protect and maintain the heart by exercising and eating right, skin needs protection and maintenance, too.
Tip #1: Wear a hat whenever you plan on spending lots of time outdoors. Wide-brimmed hats are especially crucial since they cover the sensitive skin of your face, ears, neck and shoulders. If you’re on a run, a ball cap protects your face from the sun’s glare.
Tip #2: Lather on the sunscreen if you’ll be working or playing in the most intense, sunny part of the day which is between 10am and 4pm. An SPF of 30 is the minimum for best protection. Reapply if you’re sweating or swimming a lot.
Tip #3: Shade your eyes. Wear sunglasses with UVA protective lenses. The glare of the sun off of water can be just as dangerous as looking into the sun. Sunglasses during workouts or even lounging outdoors protects the very delicate skin around your eyes. The more sun damage of the skin around the eyes, the sooner wrinkles appear.
Tip #4: Wear clothing that has a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30. Dark colored clothing protects the skin better than light. If SPF lotion is hard to come by, clothing protects skin from the sun in a pinch.
Tip #5: Get window wise since damaging UV rays can penetrate windows, so it isn’t just the outdoor sun that can damage skin. Sitting inside by a sunny window will damage unprotected skin. Either close the blinds or lather on the sunscreen before sitting at work or home by a sun-intensified window.
Bonus Tip! Eat broccoli and get protection from the sun. While broccoli alone will never replace sunscreen, hats and clothes, doctors at Johns Hopkins University have been studying the anti-skin cancer properties of broccoli for over 25 years. Enjoy half a cup a day to get the full benefits of this super food. This Vegetable & Grain Quiche recipe boasts 2 cups of broccoli florets…now that’s a sunny, summer dish!