10 Tips For Staying Safe in the Sun

* This is a sponsored post for Soleve *
Whether you are heading abroad or making the most of some British sunshine, it’s important that you look after your skin and stay safe in the sun. Here are our 10 Tips For Staying Safe in the Sun.

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I think we can all hold our hands up and admit that we were a little stupid when we were younger when it came to sun safety. However, it’s never too late to make a change. Nobody wants to look like a lobster with skin damage, so here’s 10 tips for staying safe in the sun.

1) Stay Out of the Heat of the Day

The sun is at its strongest between 10am and 4pm, so you should avoid being out in direct sunshine during those hours. That is a fairly long window though, so it’s not always possible. I find that definitely avoiding the hours of 1pm to 3pm helped to stop getting burnt.

2) Wear Sun Cream

I really hope that this one goes without saying, but wearing sun cream with at least an SPF of 30 and that blocks both UVA and UVB rays is so important! Honestly, I cringe to think of people using baby oil just because they want a tan. I never use anything under SPF 30 personally. Put it on 15 minutes before you are going out in the sun too.

3) Reapply!

You have applied sun cream – *high five*. Well, now you have to keep reapplying it. If you have been sweating lots, or if you have been in the pool, put some more on and make sure you are protected.

4) Get Some Sunburn Relief with Soleve

If you love to be outdoors as much as possible when the weather is good, then it’s inevitable that you aren’t going to be in the shade very much. If you do catch a bit too much sun, make sure you have some Soleve on hand to give you some relief.

Soleve is a smooth, white, over the counter lotion containing ibuprofen, an anti-inflammatory painkiller, and isopropyl myristate, a moisturiser, to relieve the discomfort of mild to moderate sunburn. It’s suitable for adults and children over the age of 12 years and the active ingredients are Ibuprofen 1% w/w, isopropyl myristate 10% w/w. Of course, sun protection is your first priority, but if you do get sunburnt then this can give you some pain relief and it rehydrated your skin – you can reapply Soleve as needed, up to 8 times a day. It’s a packing essential in my opinion and it should be part of your holiday first aid kit.

5) Protect Your Head

Who doesn’t love a good summer time accessory? Well, a hat isn’t just a fabulous fashion choice, but it will keep your head protected from the sun too (this is especially important for kids). Try to choose a wide-brimmed hat too and it will protect your shoulders as well.

6) Sunglasses Are More Than A Fashion Statement

Whilst you might be buzzing about all those bargain sunglasses that you picked up in Primark, they aren’t going to protect you from the sun. They should have UV filters to make sure your eyes are protected.

7) Clothes don’t always cover

Covering up with clothes is a great idea, but they might not be providing all the protection you need. If your t-shirt or top is a loose weave material and you can see through the fabric so can the sun’s rays, and they can sneak through and cause sunburn. If that’s the case, make sure you apply the sunscreen liberally underneath too. Remember to reapply often. Most SPF products only work if you keep repeatedly slathering them on every 1 to 2 hours.

8) Make Sure Kids are Protected

It’s important to practise sun safety from a young age. Make sure your kids are covered up, in the shade as much as possible and you keep reapplying their sun cream. It’s important for them to see you practicing these habits too – be a good example.

9) Stay Hydrated!

It’s always important to make sure you are drinking plenty of water, but that is especially true when you are in the sun. Keep a bottle of water with you and make sure you are having one glass of water in between each of those cocktails in the sun.

10) Get with the times

Always check your sunscreen bottle for an expiry date; you should never use sun cream after the use-by date, because you won’t be protected from the sun’s harmful rays

For more tips, take a look at our Travel First Aid Kit.