The best part about the summer weather is catching some rays and having your skin feel warm under them! There’s a lot to know about sunscreen though. Why do you need to protect yourself from the sun?
It’s important to protect your skin from the damaging side effect of getting some sun.
Most people in Michigan cannot wait to enjoy the outdoors this year! However, did you know why do you need to protect from the sun?
First off, the sun is great to have fun in, but a lot of damage can be caused from the rays. Did you know there are three types of rays from the sun? There’s UVB, UVA, and UVC. UVA & UVB rays are the ones that reach us and damage our skin. The worst part of the day to be in the sun is 10AM-4PM.
Second, all kids should wear sunscreen. Even if they just tan it’s still a form of skin damage from the sun. Sunscreen should be applied 20-30 minutes before they plan on going outside so the lotion can really soak. Also, it should be reapplied every 2 hours or after they swim. Even though the sunscreen may be waterproof or sweat proof it’s better you reapply.
Third, there are a lot of bottles of sunscreen out there. It can be confusing on picking the right one for your kid. You want to go with an SPF of 30 or more. If your child is under 6 months they should not wear sunscreen at all at should be covered by clothes or shade.
Lastly, you can cover up kids with clothes as well. Clothes will protect kids from damaging rays as long as they’re not see-through. Check by putting a hand against the material just to make sure. Hats also work very well. If you don’t have a hat, umbrellas work well when on the beach or at the park.
Enjoy the sun, but not too much!