Protecting yourself in the sun

TOP TIPS FOR PROTECTING YOURSELF IN THE SUN

A bit of sun is what we all need at the moment as we slowly come out of our lockdown, but staying safe is still high priority because the sun, bright and wonderful though it is, can have its dark side too…

Already on record as being approximately 1C hotter than the long-term average temperature of British summertime, we are emerging from lockdown feeling a trifle stifled yet grateful for the warm sunshine on our faces. Though this may make us feel good short term, long term there are potentially negative side effects from absorbing too much sun. Staying safe, as we’ve learned better than ever over the past few months, is paramount, so here are our top tips for staying safe during the hotter months. SUNTAN LOTION * Spread the lotion onto the skin thickly, not thinly, as it’s much better to be safe than sorry. * Apply a new batch onto the skin every few hours, and after you’ve been in the water, and apply it before you’re exposed to the sun, not during. * Keep a note of when you first opened your bottle of suntan lotion. Each bottle of lotion comes with an expiry date, which is symbolized on the bottle with a small image of an open jar with a number followed by an ‘M’ beside it, like ‘12M’, for instance. This means that, after 12 months, the ingredients in the lotion begin to decompose and can become inactive and ineffective.

STAY HYDRATED * Whether you’re playing sports, travelling or just sunbathing, getting enough to drink is more important than you might think, particularly for your heart health because keeping the body hydrated helps the heart pump blood more easily through the blood vessels to the muscles.

everything coming in from the sun

PROTECTIVE CLOTHING * It’s a point that’s often overlooked or dismissed as trivial, but wearing the correct clothing under the sun is far from trivial. Wearing white clothing means the heat from your body gets reflected back towards it, whereas black coloured clothing absorbs everything coming in from the sun. SUNGLASSES * There’s a reason why the majority of good quality sunglasses today are polarized. With polarized sunglasses, the filter creates vertical openings for light, meaning that only light rays that approach your eyes vertically can fit through those openings. So, for instance, the lenses will block out all the horizontal light waves bouncing off a smooth pond or a shiny car.