We all know that a little sun is good for us, seeing as it's our primary source of vitamin D. Vitamin D helps us to absorb calcium for healthier and stronger bones. But all it takes is a few minutes of sun exposure to get our daily dosage of that vitamin D. After that, the more time we spend in the sun without protection, the more harm we're doing ourselves than good. So how can you stay protected?
We're glad you asked, because protection from the sun's UV rays comes in many forms!
- Tightly-woven clothes are ideal to block out light, thus helping to prevent sunburn. Want to avoid the dreaded "farmer's tan"? Consider wearing sheer long-sleeved blouses and light-weight skirts over going bare when in direct sunlight.
- Wear a hat-- the wider the brim, the more coverage for your face, neck, and shoulders. The crazier the pattern, the trendier you will look in your garden!
- Pull out your UV-absorbent shades to protect your eyes. This should also help you to quicker achieve Rockstar Status.
- And, of course... wear sunscreen!
But wait, what does "SPF" mean anyway?
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. Normal day-to-day living requires a lower SPF compared to high sports activity in the sun. Most people can use a SPF 15 or 30 and have good protection throughout their normal day. But if you're going to be out in the sun running, swimming, or just laying out, you will need a higher SPF. Remember this formula:
[the length of time you are protected = SPF # x length of time it takes you to burn]
for example, SPF 15 x 10 minutes (when you start to burn) = 150 minutes of protection
Here's what we're wearing. ColoreScience Sunforgettable products. Why, you ask? Because we like to keep it simple. We know that when we put on our Sunforgettable sun protection, we are using a highly water-resistant mineral protector that lasts for hours and hours. No matter what summertime activity we're doing!
