Summer skin care

COVER STORY LIFESTYLE

6Best UK beaches We’ve put together a list of 2 Summer skin care The sun is out, but what are the the best seaside areas in best ways to protect ourselves the country to visit from its harmful rays?

PROPERTY

8

Hot interior design Now’s the time to think about your home decor, we have the latest trends for this year

16 Our latest instructions Take a look at a selection of our latest properties on the market 4 Spring bank holiday Our top ideas to help you get the most out of your long weekend

10

May gardening guide With our handy guide we have laid it all out for you

12 Screen Free Week Some ideas to include in your downtime from screen time

13 World Bee Day It’s vital to raise awareness of the importance of bees

FOOD

15

Buzzingly good food Celebrate World Bee day with these wonderfully sticky honey recipes

SPORT

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The finals countdown the football season heads into its ‘business end’ with trophies on the line

WELCOME TO THE MAY ISSUE!

The UK is slowly awakening from its imposed slumber. BBQs in the back garden with friends and family (following social distancing guidelines) are back on the cards, as are drinks in a beer garden. Non-essential shops are open again as are gyms and swimming pools.

This month, with the weather heating up, we have an in-depth article about how to look after your skin in the sunshine and to tie-in we have a fantastic guide to some of the best UK beaches to visit over the summer.

With the kids already having spent so much time at home this year, we have a feature full of idea for the Spring Bank Holiday, and if you are planning DIY jobs to take advantage of the long weekend, we have a guide to the hottest summer interior design trends.

May is a busy month for your garden, and we have our monthly gardening guide to help you with advice of what to plant and sow now, and we also celebrate World Bee Day with an article about its history and some buzzingly good honey recipes.

It is also a busy month for sport, with finals in a whole host of competitions, so we are looking at the potential winners of the cup competitions and we also look into the importance of Screen Free Week.

Jonathan Wheatley Editor

The sun is out, but what are the best ways to protect ourselves from its harmful rays?

Whether it’s a long-overdue holiday to a wave-lapped tropical shore or just an afternoon in the garden, there’s nothing quite like lounging in the sun, catching a few rays. A beer, a book, a basting session, it’s what summer’s all about, right?

Well, no.

Because what you do in the warmer months may well dictate how you look in later years. You may feel like a sun-kissed Greek god for a couple of weeks but, in a few years, there could be wrinkles, skin discolouration and any number of problems which could be a prelude to skin cancer.

Short-term gain, long-term misery.

Of course, we heed all the warnings: we’re coated in sun cream from head to foot, we feel we’re well covered, and we’re not going to sit out in direct sunlight too long. But what happens? You get comfortable, the book’s too good, and because you’ve moved to a shady spot, there’s no need to cover-up or re-apply the Factor 30. Is there?

Come the end of the day, though, you’ve discovered a little tenderness around the neck – it couldn’t have been anything to do with that welcoming breeze which sprang up, could it? – and your ears are burning like someone’s having a good moan about you. And yes, it was a mistake to keep a bracelet on.

Experts have been warning us for years that too much exposure to the sun is a danger to the skin, not only in the peak summer months but as outdoor temperatures and daylight hours start to increase. And while sunshine brings many benefits, such as an increase in Vitamin D, too much of a good thing isn’t necessarily ideal.

Vitamin D can improve brain function invigorate muscles and bone health, and lower high blood pressure while the levels of serotonin, triggered by sunlight hitting the retina, helps to improve mood, helping a person feel calmer and less stressed. And

COVER-UP JOB

the sun’s rays are also good for helping to battle such skin conditions as eczema, acne and jaundice.

The disadvantages to over-exposure come in later life with unsightly solar lentigines (often called age spots or liver spots and are similar to freckles), solar elastosis (where the ultraviolet radiation breaks down the skin’s elasticity and causes vertical creases, deep wrinkles and sagging), melasma (a darkening of facial skin), and poikiloderma (reddish-brown pigmentation common on the neck and chest).

It sounds scary but there are a number of ways, requiring minimal effort, to help you stay safe in the sun this summer.

The most obvious is sunscreen. Using a lotion with a high Sun Protection Factor (SPF) provides an increased level of defence, although with children it is always best to stick with 50-plus as their skin is so much more delicate.

It is best applied at least 15 minutes before you go outside, allowing it to soak in, and should be re-applied regularly, particularly if you are sweating or have been swimming – even water-resistant creams need a top-up.

Be careful with the time of day. In the UK, the sun is at its strongest between 11am and 3pm so limit your exposure time, or even use a higher-factor sunscreen during those hours if you need to be outside or add a thin layer of clothing.

A T-shirt provides an extra barrier between the sun and your skin, also protecting sensitive areas such as shoulders, back and chest – areas prone to over-exposure and where the application of sunscreen is habitually hit and miss.

Wide-brimmed hats protect the face, neck and ears, and with sunscreen, provide a good all-round shield, particularly if moving about in direct sunlight, while long-sleeved swimming tops are ideal for children who like to spend a lot of time in the sea or pool.

Shades and shade: Eye protection is all-important as UVA and UVB rays are particularly threatening from light, reflective surfaces. Polarised sunglasses absorb that glare, while seeking shade will not only protect your skin from direct light but also keep you cool. It almost goes without saying that babies and toddlers should be kept under cover as much as possible.

And don’t forget to hydrate. Sweating is nature’s way of keeping the skin cool, so you will need to replenish lost fluids with lots of water. Not wine. Or beer.

PRIORITISE LIGHT

There’s nothing quite like lounging in the sun, catching a few rays What you do in the warmer months may well dictate how you look in later years