Make Healthy Use Of The Sun

Although letting your skin make vitamin D from the sun promotes health, getting sunburned increases your risk of cancer. You have to strike the right balance of sun exposure.

The first official day of summer isn’t until June 20, but you and your family may have already headed to the beach, lake or local park to soak up the sun. If you get too much sun exposure and burn, you add to your chances of skin cancer. According to the American Cancer Society (ACS), skin cancer is the most common of all cancers. Melanoma, the most serious variety, is expected to affect more than 75,000 Americans in 2012.

In order to protect your skin from some of the sun’s harmful UV rays, medical experts at the ACS recommend that you heed the following advice: Slip! Slop! Slap! Wrap!

Cover Up

Slip on a shirt if you plan to spend long hours in the sun. But beware. If you can see through your clothing, the sun’s ultraviolet rays can also pass through. Many outdoor- wear companies now offer lightweight and comfortable clothing specially designed to protect your skin if you are outdoors for long periods of time.

Slop on a generous amount of sunscreen if you are outside long enough to burn. The ACS recommends that you use about one ounce spread over the arms, legs, neck and face.  The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that you opt for a sunscreen that provides the following: Broad-spectrum protection (protects against UVA and UVB rays), Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 15 to 50 (depending on skin tone) and water resistance.

The Environmental Working Group (EWG) has analyzed sunscreens and found that some are more desirable than others. The group advises that you do your research when picking out a sunscreen and opt for a lotion with the ingredients zinc oxide, titanium dioxide, Mexoryl SX or avobenzone (3 percent) listed on the package. These ingredients offer superior UVA protection and are not known to seep into the skin.

EWG suggests that you steer clear of sunscreens that contain Vitamin A, which has been shown to cause skin cancer in lab tests, and also avoid oxybenzone, which has been discovered to be a hormone disrupter and skin allergen.

Slap on a hat to cover your ears, nose and face against overexposure from the sun. Like other sun-protective clothing, you can purchase hats that are specifically designed to protect against the sun’s rays. But if all you have is an old straw hat or baseball cap, it is better than nothing.

Wrap. Medical experts recommend that you wrap on a pair of sunshades to protect your eyes and the sensitive skin surrounding them from being blistered by the sun. The Mayo Clinic recommends that you opt for shades with UV protection that blocks 99 to 100 percent of both UVA and UVB rays.

While a little bit of sun exposure (according to the National Institute of Health, five to 30 minutes twice weekly) can be a good thing and provide your body with vitamin D, too much can leave you with unhealthy skin in the future. To avoid getting burned remember to Slip, Slop, Slap, Wrap and pay attention to what varieties of sunscreen you use.