Summer can be the most expensive season of the year. The costs for summer vacations, summer camps, pool fees, and child care quickly add up, and can lead to enormous debts.
However, many people neglect one of the most important expenses of the summer – sun protection. While you have fun outside on beautiful, sunny summer days, the sun’s ultraviolet rays damage your skin, causing sunburn, unsightly sun spots, wrinkles, and, in some cases, skin cancer.
Excessive heat exposure can cause dehydration, which in turn can cause dangerous conditions like heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke (also called sunstroke).
No matter what your plans are this summer, you won’t want to miss any of them. Combating the toll of the heat and sun on your body will keep you healthy and active all summer long.
There’s a lot to do when the weather is right: family picnics, working on your tan at the beach, a homerun derby on the softball field, endless hours on the golf course, or lounging in your backyard hammock. Unfortunately, too much fun in the sun can be dangerous. Excessive heat exposure can cause dehydration, which in turn can cause dangerous conditions like heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke (also called sunstroke).
What to Wear
The way you dress can go a long way towards keeping you comfortable when you’re outside in the heat. Make sure you bring:
Light-Colored Clothes
Light Colored Clothes
The white linen shirt every male movie star wears on the beach isn’t just fashionably conscious; it’s also intelligent for hot, sunny days. Dark clothing absorbs more heat, and tight clothes don’t let sweat — your body’s natural cooling system — evaporate.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses
Sunglasses are chic and functional. They prevent harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays from scorching your corneas and protect your eyes for many more summers to come. Choose sunglasses that block 90 to 100 percent of UV rays.
Hats
Hats
Unlike 8-inch high heels at the beach, a hat is smart summer fashion. Throwing on a wide-brimmed hat prevents UV rays from hitting the sensitive spots on your face and keeps your skin looking young and wrinkle-free.
Sunscreen
Sunscreen
Nothing knocks good days off a summer calendar like a nasty sunburn. When outdoors, use sunscreen with an SPF rating of at least 15. Use a higher-rated, waterproof sunscreen if you’ll be poolside or out on the beach. Don’t forget to cover areas that burn easily: nose, ears, shoulders, and back of the neck.
There’s a lot to do when the weather is right: family picnics, working on your tan at the beach, a homerun derby on the softball field, endless hours on the golf course, or lounging in your backyard hammock. Unfortunately, too much fun in the sun can be dangerous. Excessive heat exposure can cause dehydration, which in turn can cause dangerous conditions like heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke (also called sunstroke).
No matter what your plans are this summer, you won’t want to miss any of them. Combating the toll of the heat and sun on your body will keep you healthy and active all summer long. Try a few of these simple precautions, and you’ll still be going strong as the leaves start to turn.
Lip Balm
Lip Balm
Just like sunscreen protects the rest of your skin, a lip balm with SPF protection blocks out the sun and keeps in moisture for your lips. Perfect for a day on the lake or while you’re working on that summer romance.
Now, pack all these essentials with you when you go out for holidays and enjoy the sun without worrying about getting sunburnt.