How to Protect your skin and eyes from UV damage and the sun

With summer right around the corner, it is essential to be prepared for the dangers at the beach and protect yourself from the sun.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Ultraviolet (UV) light is around all the time. The UV index is there to protect us. 0-2 is low danger, 3-5 is moderate risk, 6-7 is high risk, 8-10 is very high risk, and 11+ is that the sun can burn within minutes and is very dangerous. These numbers are essential to protecting our bodies. The UV rays are strongest in spring and summer. During this time of year, between 10am and 2pm you should limit the time outside, during daylight savings time, between 11am and 3pm.

2. Outside, you need to be wearing sunblock of at least SPF 30, especially on your neck, shoulders, upper thighs, face, and ears. The creamier the sunblock the better. Look for high protection - UVA/UVB protection. Sunscreens that contain 3% avobenzone, 7% octocrylene, and zinc oxide are the best to use. Remember that the sun can still burn you when it is cloudy, sometimes is may even be worse because of the reflection. Sand, water, and snow also reflects UV rays and can cause worse burns. Sunscreen needs to be reapplied many times throughout the day, even if it is waterproof. If you are in and out of the water and/or sweating it should be put on again, just to be safe, and it does wear off.

3. The sun can damage not only our skin but our eyes as well. For this reason you should wear sunglasses. Some tips for purchasing sunglasses are to remember that price is not always the best indicator. The darkness also does not matter, both light and darker sunglasses can give UV protection. Look at the label just keep in mind that labels do not always tell the truth, but generally this is a good indicator . Look for the sunglasses with the highest amount of UV protection.

4. You can always take your sunglasses to an eye doctor and they have a machine that measures how much UV rays are coming through the lenses. Remember, that sunglasses are equally if not more important for kids, since their eyes are still developing and they are outside much more than adults. Also, if you keep your sunglasses in your car they need to be replaced more often than if you carry them inside everyday. With the increased heat in the car, this causes the lenses to expand, which in turns releases the protective chemicals. When this happens, the protection for your eyes is less.