Who doesn’t love a bit of sunshine? We actually all need sun exposure to create vitamin D and absorb calcium. With warm weather, barbecues, and plenty of time spent with friends and family – it’s no wonder that we all want to make the most of every sunny day. But as we all know, when the sun is out and shining, it can be dangerous too. Too much sun exposure can cause skin damage, eye damage, heatstroke, and even skin cancer. However, this doesn’t mean that you have to miss out on your dog walking, going to the beach, hiking, or relaxing in a beer garden.How do you stay safe in the sun? Koala Outdoor has your back. Here are some tips to keep in mind.How to keep kids safe in the sunWith hot summer weather now in full gear, trips to the park, it’s especially important to protect children from the harmful sun's ultraviolet rays. Kids are susceptible to developing skin cancer, too. Sun safety for kids is crucial this summer. Children are exposed to the sun a lot more during the hot weather because they're out playing outside so much.Here are other sun protection methods for reducing sun exposure:Give your child plenty of water to drink so that they are well hydrated.Wearing close weave cotton that has sun-protective clothing with a UPF of 30 to 50 promotes healthy skin. It blocks 96 to 98% of the sun’s harmful rays.Wearing a UPF50+ Sun Hat is also a surefire way to keep them sun safeTo protect your child's skin from and reduce their risk of skin cancer and skin damage, try to keep them indoors or in the shade during the hours between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.When it comes to sun safety, applying sunscreen with at least SPF 30 is recommended, it has UVA and UVB protection every time your child goes outside, but remember that sunscreen should not be applied to babies under 6 months of age. So keep them out of the sun as much as possible.Drink plenty of water to stay hydratedOne big problem on a hot summer day is dehydration. Your body needs more water when you’re in warmer climates, physically active, running a fever, and having diarrhea or vomiting. If you go about your day without thinking about how much water you’ve had to drink or forget to take those sips until you start to feel dizziness, fainting, and fatigue which can be potentially dangerous if you're engaging in strenuous activities such as exercising or even simply working outdoors.It's a great idea to keep a high quality thermos with you at all times. The Evatac Thermos can keep your drinks cool for up to 24 hours!Dehydration & Heat exhaustionDehydration can have serious consequences such as heat exhaustion and heatstroke, and you can suffer a serious illness. If you fail to stay hydrated during hot weather, you may suffer from heat cramps and even heat stroke. Heatstroke can be caused by many things, such as too much exposure to the sun, dehydration, and exhaustion. When it comes to sun safety, it is important to stay hydrated throughout each day and to avoid activities in hot weather as much as possible during hot spells.How to stay hydratedWaterWater is the best and most cost-effective way to hydrate yourself and keep your body healthy. To keep your body well hydrated, drink a glass of water each morning when you wake up or a glass before bed. Have another glass with every meal. Drink one or two cups after working out. Stay hydrated by drinking enough water before going out into the sun and make sure to replenish yourself throughout the day.Avoid coffee, alcohol, and sodasSugar-loaded drinks like coffee, soda, beer, wine, and hard liquor, as well as lemonade, sweet tea, energy drinks, smoothies, and flavored milk, are dehydrating. Drinking too many of these can render your body severely dehydrated.Drink coconut waterCoconut water is a great alternative to sports drinks because its high electrolyte content makes it naturally hydrating. Reapplication of sunscreenMost sun damage happens from exposure during day-to-day activities, not from being at the beach or going on a hike. Tanning isn't a safe way to get vitamin D. Spending time in the sun can be dangerous and you should always wear sunscreen to protect yourself against ultraviolet radiation that causes cancer, wrinkles, and skin aging. When it comes to sun safety, broad-spectrum sunscreen protects you from harmful UVA and UVB rays causing sunburns, skin aging, wrinkles, skin damage, and skin cancers.Apply SPF 30+ sunscreenApply a “Broad Spectrum” sunscreen with SPF values of 30 or higher regularly and as directed that blocks both UVA and UVB radiation, and be sure to apply plenty of sunscreen 30 minutes prior to going outside and reapply sunscreen every 2 hours after spending time in the water, and when spending time outdoors. Dermatologists recommend using SPF 30 or greater. Make sure to apply sunscreen to your face, ears, neck, and areas of skin not covered by clothing. Wear a cover-upIn addition to sunscreen, wear UV protection clothing, sun-protected UV hats, and eye protection factor (EPF) polarized sunglasses to protect yourself from the sun. Protective clothing is rated with UPF (Ultraviolet Protection Factor) numbers and provides different levels of protection. The higher the UPF number, the better the clothing protects against sunlight. To protect yourself adequately when you go outside, wear a combination of broad-spectrum protection sunscreen with an SPF of 30+ and clothing rated UPF 50+.For the best protection against the sun's harmful UVA rays, choose clothing that is made of tightly-woven fabric specifically designed to block out sunlight. Protective clothes are made to be tight-fitting around the arms, legs, or torso for men while women's clothes are usually looser fitting with an elastic waistband. Pants are generally made of tightly woven fabrics that protect against UV radiation but you can also buy special "sun protective" clothing specially designed to reduce the amount of sun that passes through them. Wear a sun protective hatThe sun’s rays, which are already harmful to the skin, can also harm your eyes and lead to wrinkling. Wearing a sun-protective hat will keep the glare out of your eyes and prevent squinting, which is a leading cause of eye wrinkles.Wide-brimmed hats are a great addition to your wardrobe because they protect you from the sun's harmful UV rays and keep your face cool at the same time. Wear a hat whenever you're out in the sun for long periods of time.Try to wear hats that protect your eyes from UV rays as well by looking for one that has a wide brim and an extra flap that covers the back of the neck area.Wearing a sun protective hat limits the amount of sunscreen that has to be worn and protects you from harmful UV rays, so make sure you always have one handy.If you're fair-skinned or burn easily, make sure that you choose a hat with a flap on the back of the neck area to block more rays from hitting your skin and causing sunburns.Some hats can protect against UV rays such as ones made with wide brims (to protect the face), large flaps over the neck, and broad-brimmed hats that protect your eyes. ConclusionIn the end, taking small steps to protect yourself from the sun isn’t a difficult task. You can even start with some of the things already mentioned on this list. Sun protective long sleeves shirts, spending enough time in the shade to recharge, and wearing sunglasses that block UV rays are all small steps you can take to make sure you're safe and protected at all times. By adding these staples to your wardrobe or beach bag, you'll never find yourself scrambling to find shade when you need it most.While proper sun protection can seem like a hassle, trust us when we say it's well worth it. No one wants a red, painful sunburn that might still be sore and tender weeks later. Take the necessary precautions and enjoy yourself!
