The hot weather has finally arrived in our little neck of the woods. Snow pants and wool hats were quickly replaced with sunscreen and sun hats. Getting the kids off to school layered up in sunscreen is a new part of our routine, one they need to get used to for the summer ahead. But what about other ways to protection our skin from the sun’s harsh rays? May is Skin Cancer Awareness month and it has certainly touched many people’s lives. Today I want to share some ways to protect your skin beyond reaching for the bottle of sunscreen.
Umbrellas
- Find yourself a fabulous umbrella for the beach. Make sure it has an UPF rating of 50+. (UPF stands for ultraviolet protection factor)
- The Coolibar Umbrella here is our family favorite. You can see at least 4 of them lined up at our beach spot all summer long with multiple families sharing the cool shade. It’s worth the price.
UPF Clothing
- There is now a wide variety of choices in clothing with built-inUPF ratings of 50+.
- Coolibar has womens, mens, kids and babies
- Athleta and Title Nine also have options now for working out and some beach cover-ups.
- Mott50 has fashion forward choices, including this awesome infinity scarf accessory.
Hats
- There are so many choices in fabrics…straw, canvas, and so on.
- The key is to find one that will cover your ears, one of the top spots for skin cancer to form.
- Find one with a brim large enough to give you lots of coverage, but not so much that it’s droopy and impedes your peripheral vision. (I had that issue once and it was so annoying while watching the kids at the beach.)
Kids Surf Suits
- The adorable surf suits make playing outside all day so much easier for both kids and parents. Less sunscreen is needed and some cover from the neck all the way to the ankles. (both suits at Coolibar.com)
- These suits are generally good for one season and not great as hand-me-downs. The fabric often gets stretched out from sand, salt and the sun and you can’t rely on the same level of sun protection.
Hydration
- A friendly reminder to stay hydrated while hanging out in the sun. Treat yourself and the kids to new water bottles this summer to encourage lots of water intake. Flavor the water with fresh fruit or cucumbers and keep it chilled.
Stay safe as you enjoy the warm summer months! Sunscreen will always be helpful but I love that there are all these other options now to help us protect our skin from the sun.
Disclosure: Coolibar provided our family product in exchange for this post. We have been loyal shoppers of Coolibar for years and all opinions shared here are my own. Throughout May, which is Skin Cancer Awareness Month, Coolibar is giving the American Cancer Society $1 for every order placed. As an added incentive, they are also offering 15% off the entire order using the code ACS15.
It’s a good thing to have protection on your skin when you’re in an outdoor area. Keeping your beautiful skin away from the things that can cause serious problem is a good idea. Because there’s a case that too much heat can be dangerous. Your skin might burn or even worst, you’ll have a skin cancer. That’s why early prevention is the key to help your skin stay healthy and be beautiful.
It is very important to keep your skin hydrated during summer. Drinking plenty of fluids is the key. This will help in maintaining your skin soft and moisturized.