Hot weather can mean burnt skin and overheating if you're not careful. Here are some simple tips in your everyday regiment that will keep you cool and crisp free this season!
Dress properly for the warmer weather:
No, this does not mean the hot pants and tube tops are finally resurfacing-for the sophisticated woman you are, you know these are never an option, and is in fact quite the opposite of what you should do!! Your best defense is to cover up and protect those arms and legs. We know this can be hard during those really hot days, so what you might want to do is consider the color and fabric type your wearing. I bet you know that white clothes keep you cooler-which is true, it gives you an SPF of about 5, BUT darker shades tend to absorb more UV light, so less radiation penetrates through the fabric to your skin. If the fabric is of a tighter weave, it tends to block more UV, so consider darker, tighter weaved fabrics for your clothing options this season.
Another thing to remember is to protect your head, a wide brimmed hat (which is very hot this season), will provide a lot more coverage than your typical baseball cap. or visor, or those stylish turbans will do the trick.
Don't Forget to Wear Your Shades:
You protect your skin and hair, but please don't forget your eyes. UV rays cause cataracts, macular degeneration, not to mention eye and skin cancer, so make sure your protecting those beautiful eyes of yours. Now is not the time to cheap out, we all see those $10.00 sunglasses but the problem is that a lot of them don't have a proper UV coating on them, so they end up causing more harm than good, since they dilate your pupil and end up letting more light and UV in, causing more damage than if you didn't wear sunglasses at all! Get a good pair from a reputable dealer, that has 100% UV A and B protection sticker on it. Most eyeglass stores have a machine that can measure the amount of UV protection your sunglasses have, if yours isn't up to par, just get them to add a UV coating-it usually only costs $20.00. We all know sunglasses make a statement about the person wearing them, but in terms of protection, wrap around frames offer a bit more protection, since they block peripheral light rays, and polarized lenses (a type of lens you can get in the sunglasses), block the most light.
Don't Forget to Re-apply The Sunscreen:
Remember no matter what your sunscreen says, no sunscreen offers 100% UV protection, so limit the time you spend in the sun. The sun's rays are strongest from 10am-4pm, so limit your exposure during these hours and find some shade whenever it's possible.
- Remember to apply sunscreen 30 minutes before you head out, to give it some time to be absorbed by your skin, and reapply every 2-3 hours (since they tend to lose efficiency as time goes on).
Sunscreen shouldn't be limited to sunny days, with the ozone depletion, there is a lot of UV that penetrates through the clouds, so get into the habit of using it everyday.
