Summer fun generally includes plenty of time in the sun, which means we also have to have a summer sun safety plan in place. We’ve recently addressed poolside sun safety, but there are heaps of other summer activities exposing us to the sun’s rays from camping and hiking to tossing around a football or Frisbee in the yard.
Creating a plan to adequately address sun safety is important for the health of your entire family. There’s sufficient research to show that sun burn can cause serious and long-term damage. Check out our 9 summer sun safety tips to help keep you and your little ones protected while you enjoy your summer fun in the sun!
As with anything, please note, we are not licensed health care professionals. The tips presented are commonplace, but it’s always important to consult your physician before adding any new health practices to your lifestyle.
1) Apply sunscreen liberally! Don’t be shy with application and be sure to cover up all exposed areas. We use a variety of Banana Boat® sunscreen products to help keep us covered.
One of our favorite recent finds is Banana Boat® Sport Performance®CoolZone™ Sunscreens. It’s terrific for outdoor sports as it cools the skin when you apply it – a nice refresher! It also absorbs fast so play can continue quickly and comes in SPF 30 and SPF 50 as a lotion or clear spray.
2) Put on sunscreen before you head outdoors. It’s easy to get distracted by nature and fun activities once you step out the door. Be sure to apply your sunscreen before you go outside.
3) Don’t miss a spot! Every exposed part of your body benefits from sunscreen including often missed spots like your ears, neck and lips. My favorite lip product is Banana Boat® Sport Performance® Lip Balm SPF 50. The Banana Boat® lip balm moisturizes and protects lips with broad-spectrum UVA and UVB protection and is water resistant.
4) Cover your scalp. Hats are very helpful, providing both protections and shading. Sunscreen may also be applied to your scalp and is super easy to apply if you have very short hair or a shaved head.
5) Set a timer to reapply. Every sunscreen loses effectiveness over time. Be sure to check the bottle for application length and set a timer to remind you to reapply the sunscreen before its effects wear off.
6) Stock up! Before you leave your house, tent or hotel room for a fun day in the sun, be sure to check to make sure you have enough sunscreen to last through all the reapplications you will need for the day. Running out of sunscreen during your play time can lead to unwanted sunburn or pricey sunscreen replacements from tourist spots.
7) Schedule shade breaks. Hanging out in the shade gives you a respite from the sun and it’s also helpful to give you a break during strenuous sports to help cool down. Be sure to hydrate well, too, each time you take a break!
8) Put on a pair of shades. If it won’t interfere with your activities, wear sunglasses to help protect your eyes and eye area from sun damage.
9) Check in with yourself. Even with the best sun protection efforts, sun damage can occur. If you begin to feel or see signs of sunburn, seek shelter from the sun immediately. Signs include redness of skin, heated spots on skin, formation of small blisters on skin and/or localized pain.
What sun care and sun prevention tips work best for you?
For more on how you and your family can have fun and be safe in the sun this summer, visit here!
This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Banana Boat® . The opinions and text are all mine.
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Gteat tips to remember!
If you have short and/or thinning hair, you MUST wear a hat! I have a friend with thinning hair, and he once got sunburned so bad on his head, that he had fluid retention that got pulled down around his eyes from gravity. Yikes!
We are by a pool all summer long as my kids are on a swim team. We actually use this very sunscreen. It’s super easy to apply and reapply and saves us from brutal sunburns!
These are great tips. I always make sure I reapply sunscreen every couple hours. it is also important to wear sunscreen on your lips. It is never fun to have burnt lips.
We love spray on sunscreen. It’s the most convenient.
These are all great summer safety tips! I am a nervous nanny when around water, always like a hawk with my kids. Eyes on them every second and my oldest will be 13 in October! I love the tips you have given us, many do not think about the safety in Summer season, they are so focused on the fun!
I have to put on sunscreen almost every time I go out! That spray would be so much faster and easier.
Sunscreen is so important! I only wish the hubby would wear it more often.
I’ve gotten much better about using sunscreen as I’ve gotten older, and I always, always, put sunscreen on my son. I’m paranoid about him getting skin cancer. It may be too late for me, but I am diligent in protecting him the best I can.
My kids love spray sunscreen since it enables them to apply with ease. I always make sure they get their ears, scalp and other easy to miss parts, as well as wear sunglasses to protect their eyes.
We have melanoma on both sides of our family so I am vigilant on putting sunscreen on my kids (and me too)
These are all great tips. We have to make sure to reapply frequently!
My son is so fair-skinned that I use sunscreen on him even if he’s only going out for 10 minutes. He’s been sunburned before and it is NOT pleasant.
I am sad to say that we never wear sunscreen 🙁 I don’t really spend a lot of time outside
I try to have our girls wear hats whenever they are outside… PLUS sunscreen! Can’t get enough sunscreen!
My Great Aunt who was also my God Mother passed away due to skin cancer so I am very cautious about taking precautions and actually always wear sunscreen, even in winter months!
Tracy @ Ascending Butterfly
You’re so right! Going outside to play is fun, but you have to make sure to protect yourselves from the sun!
We don’t leave the house in Florida without our sunscreen! Brutal 90 degree temperatures always have us reaching for sun protection
Great tips! We can’t ever forget sunscreen for our littles. They have such fair skin it would be SO bad!
I should really be better about applying sunscreen. Especially since I have had skin cancer.
I have sunscreen hidden all over the house, outside, in the cars, in the barn, by the garden, and by the pool so that it is always accessible to us and we have no excuse.
I never go out without sunscreen! I get burnt so easily in the summer!
Sunscreen is my best friend during the summer. A sunburn can ruin a good fun day!
When we adopted our oldest 2 girls from Ukraine, their orphanage director was really worried about the kids getting sunburned. Since they didn’t have sunscreen (I’m not sure if it was an access thing or if they couldn’t afford it), the kids all had to wear hats or bandanas on their heads any time they were outside and it was sunny!
Someone gave us that same brand of sunscreen. I need to make sure I don’t forget to put plenty on the kids.
I have gotten so much better about using sunscreen in the last few years! I’ve always covered my kids with it, but now I use it all the time, too.