It’s summer again, which means it’s prime time for sunburn and heat stroke. It also means that your skin is at more risk than ever. Too much sun can cause permanent damage, such as wrinkles, freckles, moles, and more. So, how do you protect yourself from it and are there vitamins for skin that help protect you?
Thankfully, there are. These tips won’t help prevent heat stroke or sunstroke though, so be sure you remain hydrated and cool as much as possible. Here are our tips for protecting your skin from the summer sun.
Stay in the Shade
The CDC recommends staying in the shade as much as possible. You can reduce your risk of sun damage and skin cancer by staying in the shade under an umbrella or a tree. Bring an umbrella to the beach when you’re there, wear a hat, or go hiking when there is some cloud coverage over the skin.
Your best bet to protect your skin is to use sunscreen or wear protective clothing when you’re outside—even when you’re in the shade.
Wear the Right Clothing
When possible, wear long-sleeved shirts and long pants and skirts, which can provide protection from UV rays. However, we know that this isn’t always practical, especially in Arizona!
So a T-shirt, a hat, and a coverup when you’re going to the beach will work just fine. Just remember to keep them as dry as you can! A wet T-shirt offers much less UV protection than a dry one, and darker colors may offer more protection than lighter colors. Some clothing even offers UV protection.
Find the Perfect Hat
For the most protection, wear a hat that has a brim all the way around that shades your face, ears, and the back of your neck. A tightly woven fabric, such as canvas, works best to protect your skin from UV rays. Wide-brim hats are the best for protecting your face and eyes.
Avoid straw hats with holes that let sunlight through. A darker hat may offer more UV protection, but it will make your head warmer.
If you wear a baseball cap, you should also protect your ears and the back of your neck by wearing clothing that covers those areas, using sunscreen, or staying in the shade.
Sunglasses
Sunglasses protect your eyes from UV rays and reduce the risk of cataracts. They also protect the tender skin around your eyes from sun exposure.
Sunglasses that block UV rays offer the best protection. Wrap-around sunglasses work best because they block UV rays from sneaking in from the side. If you can’t use sunglasses or forget them at home, stay in the shade to protect your eyes or get a wide-brimmed hat.
Don’t Forget Your Sunscreen!
Put on broad spectrum sunscreen that blocks both UVA and UVB rays and has an SPF of 30 or higher before you go outside. Don’t forget to put a thick layer on all exposed skin. Get help for hard-to-reach places like your back.
Sunscreen wears off as well. Put it on again if you stay out in the sun for more than 2 hours and after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.
Be sure to check the sunscreen’s expiration date as well. Sunscreen without an expiration date has a shelf life of no more than 3 years.
Sunscreen works best when combined with other options!
Vitamins for Skin Protection
Vitamin C helps boost the effectiveness of sunscreen! In fact, your skin contains very high levels of vitamin C naturally! So, unsurprisingly, studies have shown that boosting your levels of vitamin C may improve your skin health and hydration.
Increasing dietary vitamin C through vitamin C supplements may also improve many factors of skin health, including skin hydration. We offer vitamin C in our IV treatments too!
Try Zinc!
Zinc oxide is actually found in most high-performing sunscreen, so it makes sense that it protects your skin!
Zinc also helps your skin if ingested or taken through an IV. It can help heal wounds, lessen inflammation, improve inflammatory conditions such as acne, aid in collagen production, and repair your skin’s DNA!
Different types of zinc can help with different skin conditions too!
We also offer zinc in our IV treatments! So if you’re wanting to rehydrate and give your skin a youthful summer glow in the middle of winter, book an appointment with us at IV Revival. Our nurses will come right to your door to administer the IV while you enjoy the comfort of your home. Treatments are quick (most take less than an hour), and easy. Give us a call today!