“Preventing sunburn doesn’t have to be difficult. We’ve made it our mission to get families covered and to spread awareness about the importance of staying sun safe while enjoying the outdoors.” – Rhonda Sparks, Founder UV Skinz
Summer is just around the corner and during these lovely warmer months the sun is hot, UV radiation is powerful, and you and your family are likely spending extra time outdoors. A person’s risk for melanoma – the deadliest form of skin cancer – doubles if he or she has had five or more sunburns in their lifetime, so here are five sun-safe tips to protect yourself and your family year round.
Cover up with sun protective clothing.
Sun protective clothing (UPF 50+) is the single best way to protect against UV radiation while outdoors. Sun protective clothing (like UV Skinz) is preferable to regular clothing as it is specifically designed to repel the sun’s harmful rays, and stay dry and cool while you enjoy family time spent outside.
Apply a broad-spectrum sunscreen of at least SPF 30+ on all exposed areas.
Be sure to reapply every two hours or immediately after swimming or sweating heavily. Even with proper use some UV rays can still get through to skin, so it’s really important to use other forms of sun protection in addition to sunscreen.
Wear a wide-brimmed hat (at least 3 inches wide) and sunglasses that block UV radiation.
This provides protection for areas that often feel the sun’s rays: the ears, forehead, nose, eyes and scalp. TIP: Check the label of your sunglasses before buying – they should block 99-100% of UVA and UVB rays.
Seek the shade during peak UV hours.
Not sure how strong the rays are when you’re outside? Try the shadow test: If your shadow is shorter than you are, get some shade! Peak hours are usually from 10 AM-4 PM.
Take extra steps to protect infants and children.
Children need special care when it comes to protection from the sun, as they often spend more time outdoors and are less aware of the negative effects of too much sun. Did you know that one severe sunburn during childhood doubles that child’s risk for developing melanoma later in life? As scary as that sounds, that can be avoided by using quality sun protection on your children and teaching them good sun-safe habits at a young age. Infants under 6 months should be kept out of direct sunlight completely, and should be protected with sun protective clothing and wide-brimmed hats.
UV Skinz, Inc. was created after founder and CEO, Rhonda Sparks, lost her 32-year-old husband, Darren, to skin cancer (melanoma). This devastating loss, as well as being left to raise their three young boys on her own, gave Rhonda the drive to create a product line that would protect the entire family from harmful UV radiation, without limiting the fun of living life outdoors. To learn more about UV Skinz’s mission, or to shop our line of sun protective clothing for children and adults, visit uvskinz.com.
