Red Hot Mamas In Charge of Change.
By: Red Hot Mamas
Published: July 15, 2019
“Summer is like a one night stand…hot as hell, totally thrilling, and gone before you know it”
– Anonymous
Dear Red Hot Mamas,
It’s July and many of us like to make use of the nice weather and go outdoors as often as possible. Summer holidays are a special time for many of us. It allows us to get outside and enjoy the beautiful rays of the sun and come in with a golden sun-kissed skin. However, it’s important to take proper precautions from the ultraviolet rays that come from the sun. They can be extremely harmful to your skin and your eyes.
Personally for me, gone are the days when I was a backyard sun worshipper. Yes, I admit to slathering on baby oil in the quest to get a deep, dark tan. But, today, I’m more interested in protecting my skin and eyes from the sun’s harmful rays than ever before.
I’ve educated myself enough to know that tanning causes skin cancer; tanning causes wrinkles; tanning causes blotchy sunspots on the skin; tanning makes you look older and it can kill you.
The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) light can also harm your eyes. Too much exposure to UV light raises the risk of eye diseases including cataracts, macular degeneration, and cancer. And, women face higher risks of blindness than men. So, we should make vision a top priority by actively protecting our eye health. We can do this during the summer by wearing sunglasses with 100% UV protection and a hat while enjoying the time outdoors.
Some red hot tips to protect your skin include:
Wear proper lightweight clothing like thin linen and cottonas they are good choices in the hot weather. Another option is sun-protective clothing which has a fabric that is treated to reduce exposures to UV rays
Wear a hat with a brim that protects your face, ears and neck
Sit in the shade under an umbrella or underneath a tree which can help to reduce UV rays
Stay out of the sun between 10 am and 4 pm because during that time you will get the most hazardous UV exposure
Apply sunscreen which has ingredients that help prevent UV rays from damaging the skin. For daily use, products with SPF of 30 are adequate. On days of intense sun exposure, choose a sunscreen with the highest sun protection factor (SPF) and broad spectrum (both UVA and UVB) protection. Use sunscreen on your face every day and any sun-exposed areas.
In closing, there is a dark side of the sun. Tanning and over exposure to the sun is what smoking is to the lungs. The good news is you can easily protect yourself by taking precautions when you are outdoors.
Good Health to You All,
Karen Giblin
