The 3 Pillars of Sun Safety

 How to Stay Protected from the Sun

Keeping yourself protected from the sun is very important. UV rays can damage your skin and lead to sunburns, premature aging, and even skin cancer if you're not careful. According to the American Academy of Dermatology skin cancer cases are on the rise:

• Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States.
• Current estimates are that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime.
• It is estimated that approximately 9,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day.
• More than 1 million Americans are living with melanoma

UV Skinz is incredibly passionate about helping people and their families stay sun-safe. Today, we are going to go over the three pillars of sun safety and how to ensure you can stay cancer free. 

Best 3 Ways to Protect Your Skin from the Sun

When it comes to protecting your skin from the sun, three forms of protection, shade, coverage, and sunscreen, are your best friend. Three is better than one, 

To properly defend yourself against the sun’s harmful UV rays, three forms of sun protection should be used.

1. Shade

Shade is the first pillar of sun safety. It is the most basic, and cheapest, form of sun protection. You just find a patch of shade and sit underneath it. Some forms of shade include the following: 

• Trees
• Umbrellas
• Cabanas
• Tent

It's important to note that according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, not all shade is created equal, though. You need to consider the size of the shade structure, the fabric it is made out of, and if it can protect you from UV rays that could potentially hit you from the side or the ground. Yes, UV rays can bounce off the ground. 

You want to find a shade structure that has a UPF rating of at least 30 and that can provide comprehensive coverage from the sun. 

Did you know UV rays can also reflect off of water, sand, and grass? Not all UV rays come at you from above. Snow reflects 80% of the sun’s rays, sand bounces off 15%, and even grass and soil can reflect 10% of UV rays!

Finding shade whenever possible is a great start, but it isn’t enough to stay safe from the sun's UV rays. 

2. Coverage

Sun Coverage is what we're all about here at UV Skinz. Our UPF 50+ swimwear and sunwear blocks 98% of UV rays, making it the best and highest UPF-rated clothing you can find to protect yourself from the sun. 

Wearing sun-protective clothing like long-sleeve swim shirts and sun hats will block the reflected UV rays that bounce off the ocean or sand. 

3. Sunscreen

Coverage can only go so far, sunscreen is the last thing you need to stay completely sun safe. Your hands, neck, and face are a few of the body parts that tend to be left exposed when out in the sun. So, be sure to cover them by applying sunscreen. 

When choosing a sunscreen, make sure that it is broad-spectrum and contains an SPF of 30 or higher.

For the best defense against harmful UV rays, be sure to seek out shade, wear UPF 50+ swimwear and clothing, and apply sunscreen liberally. 

Be sure to shop our sun-protective clothing and swimwear today to keep skin cancer at bay.