Too much fun never hurt anyone, but too much sun always does! It burns, blisters, dries and peels the skin, even breaking down the immune system. That’s why it’s so important to protect your vacation fun, by protecting your skin from the sun. Fortunately, it’s easy to do as long as you follow these seven simple steps:
Wear a water-resistant sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15 to protect against harmful UVA and UVB rays that cause sunburn. Reapply every two hours and remember the most commonly forgotten spots – your back, ears and neck.
Apply a moisturizing lip balm to protect from dryness, as well as cold sores often caused by too much sun.
Stay out of sun during its most dangerous hours, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Cover as much of your skin as possible to avoid sunburn. Wear a brimmed hat, sunglasses and protective clothing (most t-shirts, for instance, have an SPF of 7.56).
Protect yourself even in winter climates, especially when you’re spending time on water, snow or white sand, all of which reflect the sun onto your skin.
When you’re done with the sun, rub on a moisturizing after sun lotion to protect against drying.
If you’re taking any medications, ask your pharmacist if any of the active ingredients increase your susceptibility to sunburn and take the necessary precautions.
If you do get sunburn, take a cool shower for fast relief, drink lots of water to help re-moisturize your skin from within, don’t burst the blisters as this can lead to infection and, as always, rub on a moisturizing after sun lotion.
It’s important to protect against dry skin on any vacation, but especially so when you’re traveling to a cold climate. Cold air generally means low humidity. Your skin will miss the moisture in the air, and the drying effects of central heating systems inside only compound the problem.
For the best protection against dry skin, avoid washing with water that’s either too hot or too cold and apply a moisturizing lotion while your skin is still damp to lock in moisture.
Keep your skin protected from insect bites.
You’re open to all kinds of encounters when you go on vacation, but not the kind that buzz in your ear, crawl on your arm or bite at your ankles! Keep these unwelcome visitors away with natural insect repellents that include citronella, eucalyptus, cedar wood, clove, lavender, thyme and other essential oils that insects don’t like.
Just in case a bug takes a bite out of you, pack some lavender oil. Its anti-bacterial and healing properties make lavender ideal for applying directly to insect bites.
