Protect Your Skin From Sun This Summer

by | Apr 6, 2021 | Latest Post 5

Protect Your Skin From Sun This Summer

Protecting your skin and the skin of your children is crucial to long-term overall health and to ensuring that no one is suffering from painful sunburn. No one who has ever had a sunburn would wish that on anyone because it hurts to have clothes on the skin and even showering hurts.

The best way to enjoy the pool and backyard space with your friends and family is to use sun protection at all times. You have probably heard that the sun is hotter and can burn you even when it’s an overcast day and that’s true! Get into a habit of wearing sunblock and sunscreen every time you go out to the pool. The time you spend slathering up your skin and your family’s skin is time spent protecting them. And you can’t put a price on that!

Protect Your Skin From Sun This Summer

How do you know what sunscreen or sunblock is best?

Swimming Pool Landscaping Elevates The Outdoor Space
  1. Read ingredients
  2. Look for sunblock and sunscreen that is suited for the age of the individual you’re using it on. For example, the sunscreen you’d use on a baby or toddler is different than you’d use on an adult.   

When is the sun the hottest and highest in the sky?

It depends on where you live, of course but in many areas of the country – noon time is when the sun is the hottest. In Arizona, though the sun is highest and hottest in the early afternoon.

Toddler and newborn skin is delicate and requires pampering and being protected with a gentle sunscreen that is nontoxic. We don’t advocate for any specific sunscreen but look for one that:

  1. Uses zinc oxide
  2. Has a SPF of at least 50
  3. Is water resistant for up to 60 minutes (the longer the better)
  4. Look for something that is paraben-free, dye-free, phthalate-free and fragrance-free
  5. There is no reason an adult with sensitive skin can’t use a gentle sunscreen, too

Faces matter!

Don’t forget to use sunscreen on your face. The skin on your face is the most sensitive and thinnest and that means it’s more prone to sun burn and sun damage. Ensure your face is completely covered in sunscreen, but use a sunscreen that is specifically formulated for the face so it doesn’t cause breakouts or clog pores.

Look for:

  1. Sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays
  2. Is fragrance free
  3. Is moisturizing

Don’t forget your head!

Yes, you need to put sunscreen on your scalp. We know, it sounds messy and oily, and it might be BUT do you want the top of your head to burn? No. Unless you’re diligent in wearing a hat that provides UVA and UVB protection you need to protect your scalp.

Look for:

  1. A light misting sunscreen
  2. One that is water resistant
  3. One that provides at least SPF 30 (higher is always best)

For swimmers!

Hands up if you absolutely love your swimming pool! When you have a swimming pool your house is party central and that means the pool will encourage people to gather at your home and in the outdoor living space. A pool provides endless hours of fun and is an ideal place to host pool parties for the children and the adults. Why is a pool so ideally suited to fun? It’s a place to cool off Everyone loves pool games and swimming It’s a great place to build memories with your friends and family It’s. A. Pool! Tips To Keep Your Pool Trouble Free You will spent countless hours in and around the pool, but there are also maintenance items that need to be attended to in order to keep the pool and the outdoor living space clean and healthy and fun for those parties you’ll be hosting. Bathroom breaks swimming pool safetyOkay, we shouldn’t have to say it, but please don’t pee in the pool. Make certain children use the bathroom before they get in the pool and that they take regular bathroom breaks. It will be up to the adults to assure the kiddos get out of the pool to pee! If you have a pool house and have a bathroom in it, it will be easier to assure that no one pees in the pool. Here is a very good reason to not pee in the pool. Feel free to share this with your guests! Check the water for chemicals like trichloramine and cyanogen chloride. This forms in pools with chlorinated water and when mixed with human urine it reacts with the chemicals and can morph into cyanogen. This is an odorless, colorless chemical that has been used in chemical warfare and can affect the nervous system, lungs and the heart. Make sure the water is not harboring these chemicals by enforcing a “no pee in the pool rule.” Chemical testing The pool water chemistry needs to be tested regularly. What your pool contractor is testing for, and what you will be testing for between pool service visits is: Cyanuric acid free chlorine pH levels Alkalinity, and Calcium Your pool contractor will bring a test kit with him when he services the pool. You can purchase a pool water testing kit from him, at a local pool store or you can take water to the pool contractors’ store and they can test the water for you. Maintaining proper chemical balances is critical to keeping the water bacteria-free and the swimmers safe. Debris clean up Your swimming pool filter will do a lot of work and heavy lifting to keep debris out of the water. But as a responsible pool owner you will want to grab the skimmer — several times a day — and skim debris from the surface of te pool. If you use a pool cover, it will keep debris out. Also, pick up debris that collects around the pool and the pump and filter. When you mow the grass, debris can collect and can make the pool area look unsightly. spring pool openingFilter cleaning The swimming pool filter is a hard worker. It keeps the water clean, it captures debirs, it pushes the water back into the pool when it’s been filtered. If not for the filter, the pool water will get murky quickly. Clean the filter basket at least weekly. Leaks There are complicated instruments and gauges that can check for leaks, but you can do it yourself, just by being observant. Look for standing water. Make note of whether the pool water levels are dropping more quickly than they should be from simple evaporation. Perform the bucket test: Grab a bucket Draw a line inside the bucket where you fill the water level and on the outside of the bucket where the pool water level is Drop a brick in it Place it on a step inside the pool such that the water level in the bucket is exactly the same as the water level in the pool Wait a few days. If there is a significant difference in levels, you have a leak. Note: Checking for leaks is not the same as finding the leak. Once you find out that there is a leak, you need to find where the leak is and get it fixed. A leaky pool is a serious hazard to your home as well as your pocket. Talk with your pool contractor to see if there are little tasks you should do between service visits to assure your pool is in top shape!

If you’re athletic and plan to jump into the water and swim – and why wouldn’t you if you’re poolside you want to look for sunscreen that won’t sweat off during activity

Look for:

  1. Water resistant sunscreen
  2. SPF 50 or higher
  3. Something that is non greasy

Here is sunscreen application advice

  1. Apply at least every two hours.
  2. Reapply when you get out of the water
  3. Plan to apply at least one ounce of sunscreen per application. We know that sounds like a lot and it is, but you need it to be fully protected. A shot glass is about one ounce.
  4. Don’t use sunscreen that is expired
  5. Protect your skin from UVA and UVB rays
  6. Don’t give into the “skin looks healthier when it’s tanned.” Skin that burns or is exposed to sun too long or too often is skin that is prone to skin cancer.

 Have fun in the sun this summer but do it safely!