Many family traditions include a yearly visit to the beach. 
Tucked away in our memories are the smell of coconut oil, the 
warmth of the sun and sand mixed with cool beach breezes. 
However, gone are the days of baby oil and metal sun reflectors, 
replaced with safer sun practices to preserve our natural skin 
color and condition. Sun protection comes in a variety of options
to include sunscreen, sunglasses, sun hats, sun protective 
swimwear and cover-ups.

An important part of your beach planning will be your sun 
protection. Sun tanning and trips to your local tanning salon 
aren’t the best idea anymore. That’s because both emit harmful 
ultraviolet (UV) radiation that can cause painful sunburn and 
may eventually lead to skin blemishes, premature aging of the 
skin, cataracts and other eye problems, weakened immune system 
and skin cancer. And if the Earth’s ozone layer continues to 
deplete and the approximate rate of four to six percent per 
decade there will be more UV radiation reaching our skin.

It is true that light skin is more susceptible to sun damage, 
however darker skinned people such as African Americans and 
Hispanic Americans can be affected. Everyone should be educated 
about the affects of the sun and the steps needed to safer sun 
exposure.

The easiest way to protect you from the sun is simply by 
avoiding the sun; the sun’s rays are strongest between 10am and 
3pm. Cloudy days may be deceiving as the clouds only block about 
twenty percent of UV radiation, this is also true when swimming 
in the water (the UV rays can still reach you).

If you are going to be out in the sun in your bikinis or 
swimsuits, either sunscreen or sunblock should be used. Both 
sunscreen and sunblock come in creams, lotions, ointments, gels 
or wax sticks, and when applied to the skin will reflect, absorb 
or scatter either all or at least some of the sun’s harmful 
rays. Currently on the market are some makeup items containing 
sunscreen (lipstick being one example). Sunscreen products are 
believed to block a large percentage of harmful UV radiation. 
The FDA requires that any label of sunscreen products state the 
sun protection factor (SPF), the higher the number the longer 
a person is able to stay in the sun before burning. It is 
recommended to wear at least a sunscreen with SPF 15, the 
product should also be applied liberally 15 to 30 minutes before 
going outdoors. The sunscreen should be applied to all areas of 
skin that will be exposed to include; lips, ears, eyelids (be 
careful not to get in eyes), neck, nose, scalp (for those with 
thinning hair), feet, and hands. Children under 6 months should 
not wear sunscreen (covering their skin is the best bet against 
sun exposure), as they might be too sensitive to the ingredients.
Sunscreen should become a regular habit for children whenever 
going outdoors.

Sunglasses are a very important part of sun protection. Not only 
do sunglasses help us see in the glaring sun, but also protect 
our eyes from sun damage. Price doesn’t matter as long as the 
glasses are blocking ninety-nine to one hundred percent of UVA 
and UVB radiation (it should say on the label). Try and select 
sunglasses that protect your eyes from all angles, a large 
framed wraparound style is suggested. Don’t forget to put 
sunglasses on your children as well; they can start wearing 
sunglasses as early as one year old. It is important to purchase 
real protective sunglasses for children, not toy sunglasses. 
Even if you’re wearing sunglasses you might want to put some 
sunscreen on your eyelids (be careful not to get the sunscreen 
in you’re eyes), as the sunglasses protect your eyes from UV 
rays not the skin around the eyes.

Hats are an easy and fashionable ways to protect you’re eyes, 
ears, nose, neck and scalp from the sun. Try and purchase a hat 
with a three- inch brim all the way around the hat if possible. 
There are such a wide variety of hats available in styles ranging 
from lovely straw hats with wide brims, to cotton hats with brims
and baseball caps (some with material draping down the sides and 
back if desired).

Another popular form of sun protection is available in the sun 
protective swimwear and cover-ups. This swimwear covers the 
areas of the body most sensitive to sunburn, giving effective 
sun protection. The swimwear comes in styles similar to a 
t-shirt with adjoining shorts, and is a great idea especially 
for children. The swimwear and cover-ups boast a SPF 50 (highest 
rating for fabric) and most often offers approximately 
ninety-eight percent sunblock, the nylon-lycra mix is 
lightweight and fast- drying. There are also sunsuits combined 
with buoyancy aids (another great idea for children). The sun 
protective swimwear, t-shirts, cover-ups and hats are available 
in babies, children and adult sizes. Although the protective 
swimwear is quite popular it has yet to be approved by the FDA.

Cover-ups should be worn whenever possible if out in the sun. 
A cover-up can include any lightweight, loose-fitting, long 
sleeved shirts, skirts, pants or robes that provide protection 
from the sun. There are toweling robes manufactured that serve 
both as a towel and a cover-up after swimming. Almost all 
materials and colors absorb or reflect the sun’s harmful UV 
rays. However it must be noted that it is suggested to avoid 
wearing wet clothing in the sun, as the sun’s rays can much 
more easily pass through wet clothing.

It is important to avoid artificial tanning as much as possible. 
It has long been a belief that the ultraviolet (UV) rays from 
tanning beds are harmless as they emit mostly UVA rays and 
barely any UVB the rays considered to be most hazardous. However 
it has been found that UVA rays may be the cause of the most 
serious forms of skin cancer (melanoma). This is scary 
considering some people use the tanning beds all year long, 
thus increasing their exposure to the harmful rays at an 
alarming rate.

An alternative to a real tan may come in one of the self-tanning 
products available on the market. Self-tanning products are sold 
in tanning pills, sunless tanning lotions and sprays, cosmetic 
bronzers and extenders and tanning pills. Through a bit of trial 
and error you can usually find a product that will produce a 
desired look from a subtle glow to a deep dark tan. Caution 
should also be exercised with these self-tanning products. In 
particular the tanning pills that use carotenoid color additives 
which are approved as additives for coloring food but not for 
use in tanning pills, if consumed in high levels they may be 
harmful. The tanning accelerators using tyrosine have not been 
FDA approved and should also be used minimally. The bronzers 
and extenders use color additives that are approved by the FDA 
and because they wash or wear off quite quickly are quite safe.

Although it’s important to practice caution while being out and 
about in the sun, your day at the beach or lake can still be a 
wonderful experience. We just have to take a more careful 
approach to our sun seeking ways to ensure our future health. 
So pack away your coconut oil and reflectors, replacing them 
with sunscreen and great sun protective hats and cover-ups.