6 Tips to Protect Your Skin from Sun

The skin care is not so complicated, you can protect your skin from the dangerous effects of the sun requires a multi-faceted approach.  

The skin is the largest organ in the body. Besides that, it is also the organ that is most exposed to the elements. The skin is exposed to wind, chemicals, soap, water and most importantly, the sun.

As most know, the sun can produce sagging, wrinkles, sunburn and age spots on the skin. While this may not be apparent when the body is younger, as the body ages the skin can look quite old.

Besides this, the skin is particularly sensitive to cancers such as basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas as well as to the highly deadly melanomas. Therefore, it is vital to protect the skin as much as possible. Here six skin protection or skin care tips, keeps your skin looking fresh and great.

1. Apply Sunscreen
It is well known that one of the best ways to protect the skin from sun damage is to apply sunscreen liberally and often. However, many people think this means that they should only apply sunscreen when they know that they will be out in the sun for a long period of time.

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Recommendations currently say that sunscreen should be applied to the skin every day no matter how long the person is going to be in the sun. Sun damage can start happening in as little as a quarter of an hour or less. Sunscreen should be at least 30 SPF although many health groups recommend 50 SPF. Sunscreen should be applied at least thirty minutes before going out into the sun.

2. Wear a Hat
Another way to protect the skin from sun damage is to physically keep the sun off the skin. This can be done by wearing clothing that covers the greatest portion of the skin or by wearing broad-brimmed hats. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends wearing clothing and hats that are made of dark materials and that are tightly woven. Loosely woven clothing can let in many of the harmful ultraviolet rays of the sun.

Read:    Personal Guide for Skin Care 

3. Beware of Sand and Snow
What many people are unaware of is that the sun can be reflected off certain objects. For example, when at the beach, sun is reflected greatly off the water as well as the sand. Therefore, the skin will burn much faster at the beach that it would in a grassy backyard. Other reflective surfaces of which one should be aware include snow, concrete and metal. The sun can reflect off these surfaces even on cool, cloudy days.

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4. Do Not Take Sun Bath
It may be obvious but some people still think that sunbathing is safe. Worse yet is the use of tanning oils. However, no kind of tan can be healthy. The only way to tan the skin is to first damage some of the skin cells. Fair-skinned individuals should be particularly careful of sunbathing.

5. Do Not Use Tanning Beds
Tanning beds are also quite unsafe. While many tanning companies say the tanning beds are safe since they use only UVA rays instead of UVB rays, UVA rays are still quite unsafe. In fact, UVA rays reach farther below the surface of the skin and do much more long-term damage then do UVB rays. In addition, UVA rays can certainly cause many forms of skin cancer.

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6. Eat Foods That Protect The Skin
Foods that are red or orange are typically very good at protecting the skin from dangerous rays and chemicals. The reason for this is that red and orange foods contain many antioxidants including lycopene and beta-carotene. These two antioxidants help protect the skin from damage and should be eaten often. However, beware of grilling these fruits and vegetables. Grilling can break down these foods and produce certain chemical compounds that actually damage collagen. To decrease the amount of these chemicals while drilling, use marinades that include lemon juice or vinegar or add herbs such as ginger and cinnamon.

Protecting the skin from harmful radiation from the sun is a life-long commitment. However, starting late is better than not starting at all. Protect the skin with sunscreen, avoid excessive sun exposure and eat foods that are high in skin-saving antioxidants.

Author's Bio: Mark Carol is a health writer for Assisted Living Today, which is a leading resource for finding health care tips for aging adults, and Alaska Care Homes.