The sun’s shining, excitement follows and precautions are a fleeting memory. Sun rays can cause havoc, pain and damage; sometimes permanently harming skin cells. Summer is a temporary season, don’t let it have long-lasting, irreversible effects!
Warm weather is often associated with joy, low cost fun time and togetherness. Closely related to happiness, that mother nature has selflessly provided. Potential short lived seasonal depression is eradicated almost instantly. A time when people get together, have a barbecue, enjoy a beach day or simply have an outdoor nap whilst sunbathing to look sun-kissed and bronze.
You’ve missed out two important components / risk factors though. Sun rays and heatstroke. The two main factors we should shield from wherever and whenever possible.
There are many ways to enjoy the summer months whilst staying, safe, protected and well. Shrivelling up like a prune is not the way forward, no matter how much it may’ve seemed worth it at the time.
Follow these safety tips as a handy, important reminder to ensure yours and your loved ones health and wellbeing this summer time!
- Stay hydrated with water! – I can’t stress this enough. It’s very difficult to drink too much water, it’s far easier to be dehydrated and only drink fluids if you’re a bit thirsty. Waiting to feel thirsty isn’t a healthy habit to practice not only mentally to help keep headaches and more at bay, but also is crucial in maintaining efficient functioning organs, especially your kidneys. Dehydration can contribute to kidney diseases such ass kidney stones. Prevention is better than cure.
- Keep out of the sun between 11am and 3pm. I’d emphasis this every single day if I could, it’s so important. The sun is at its highest point between these hours which is when it’s vital to use precautions to protect your skin in this timeframe. Spending time in the shade – under an umbrella, parasols, trees or go inside.
- Covering up. wearing loose cotton/linen/breathable fabric that covers your shoulders and the more skin covered the better. Paired with a stylish wide brimmed hat and UV protection.
- Using sunscreen. Focus application on areas that you can’t cover with clothes or shade for additional protection. Don’t forget to lather on sunscreen with at least SPF 30 with both UVA and UVB protection and 4 or 5 stars rating; regularly and generously. Reapplying throughout the day is key to efficacy. I’ll link my personalised guide to SPF here. Shade and protection is one of the easiest methods to limit and minimise sunburn. Practising this step as often as you can does your skin the world of good. Unprotected skin can quickly burn in the sun, which can lead to immediate and long-term damage. Sometimes invisible to the naked eye.
- Wear light, loose clothing. Opt for light coloured clothes, if possible.
- Limit alcohol as it increases dehydration.
- Avoid extreme physical exertion, remember to drink lots of water when active.
- Close curtains on the sunny sides so you avoid the hot sun.
- Open the windows in the evening if safe to do so, when it’s cool. Sadly, statics in the UK state more people are falling ill from hyperthermia than hypothermia, so it’s very important to attempt to cool down your home’s internal temperature before going to bed.
- Make sure babies and young children do not overheat; keep them in light, breathable clothing. Avoid wrapping them in heaving blankets.
- If you have an elderly neighbour check they are ok.
- Do not leave pets, children or older people in cars or conservatories which can overheat quickly.
Lastly, many suffer from photosensitivity / sun allergies; I know I do. Diagnosis confirms what you’ve lived with. It’s often clinically overlooked, misdiagnosed due to ignorance, arrogance, incompetence and miseducation with an undertone lacking of interest with a passive sarcastic attitude of, “How can you be allergic to the sun?”. The human body can be allergic to anything. Medicine is not an exact science. It’s difficult to know just how many people suffer from these conditions which can really affect quality of life. Lack of understanding in regards to just how debilitating these conditions can be if not controlled sufficiently. Don’t put yourself in harms way just for social acceptance and what’s deemed to be ‘normal’ as the only one who’s going to be suffering with painful lesions or an adverse reaction lasting days or weeks will be you. Put yourself first. If people want to disregard your reality especially when diagnosed, don’t let their naivety affect you. There’s a fine line between disrespect, laughing off your sufferings, and bullying. A quote I live by…
‘Educate yourself. Don’t let me educate you.‘ – Robert Henri.
What do you think? How do you stay safe throughout spring/summer? Comment below!
Beauty File 
I’m loving your fantastic fun in the sun tips! 🌞
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Aww I’m so glad!!! Thankyouu for reading!🤗🤍
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+1 on wide brimmed hat. Throw in come cool sunglasses for added sun protection. I’ve often thought about how many people have premature wrinkles from squinting because they were too afraid to rock a hat.
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Yes! If you can avoid wrinkles by the simplest measure, why wouldn’t you? Then we invest in anti-ageing! Save the money by reusing preventative measures like hats, sunglasses and SPF. If there’s one thing we can avoid it’s sun damage and premature wrinkles. You’re right, why do we like squinting rather than protecting our skin and eyesight, priorities are all wrong in those cases!
Thankyouu so much for reading and your top tips!!🤗🌞🤍
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This is good advice! 🩷🌸
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Aww you’re most welcome! So glad you found this guide helpful, Kymber!!🤗🌞🤍
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those were awesome tips! I loed them! Xo
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Aww you’re ever so welcome, Carol Anne! So glad you enjoyed this sun safety guide!!🤗🌞🤍
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I really love this Blog because it enables me to understand what is going on during the Summer. Thank you for helping me to understand that it is very important to protect yourself from the Sun. It is also important to stay hydrated by drinking water rather than alcohol. I am a person who loves the Summer months. I know that I need to wear a hat during the Summer as well as exercise on a daily basis. Thank you for writing this important information and God Bless You 🙌 🙏.
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Aww I’m so glad you enjoy my blog! You’re ever so welcome and most definitely water is a must especially in these warmer months.
100% on wearing a hat too!
Thankyouu so much for reading and commenting, Anthony! Hope you’re having a lovely day and bless you too!🤗🤗
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I run bike and swim but am really conscious about that sun…at one time in my life I never wore sunscreen, then a local athlete died because of skin cancer, and I teach new runners, I’m all over the protection from that sun, hydration, watch each other….a friend who refused to get an air conditioner (I hate them) he did the blinds down on the east end of the house with doors windows open on the west…then afternoon/evening do the other, it’s amazing how well that works…and a house surrounded by trees helps too…our biggest problem here last year and so far this year…smoke from forest an grass fires…I hate treadmills, but only one set of lungs, soooo
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Oh no I’m so sorry to hear that😞🙏. It must hit close to home how important and life saving even, the significance of sun protection and making that part of our daily routine along with reapplication throughout the day. Hydration is also incredibly important you’re so right.
Yes! Keeping the blinds down in certain rooms helps cool down in an eco-friendly way, according to the times of day as you’ve mentioned and opening windows additionally where there’s shade is such efficient, natural air-conditioning; especially for the people that refuse these helpful gadgets haha.
Oh no that sounds terrible I hope the grass fires aren’t unbearable as it sounds like a pain!
Tell me about it, but treadmills are much better on the knees!
Thankyouu so much for sharing, Warren!!🤗🤍
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In India,here is most hot days and night in the summer.Your post gives us most prcious advises,dear Antonia!!Love your post❤️🙏❤️
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Oh wow, a warm climate at all hours in the summer must be quite challenging! In India, do most households have air conditioning to help cool down? If I travel to India I’ll be sure to visit in the winter, warm weather is definitely not my preference if I can help it! Even England’s too hot for me at the moment!😂😰
Aww you’re so welcome! So glad to hear you found this post helpful, Aruna!🤗🤍
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Yeah.Dear Antonia!!You should come to India in Winter but here are many places which are cool always.I live in Rajasthan,India,so-in summer, Rajasthan has most hot days and night.
Your post,really,most helpful for Hot Places in India❣️🌹🥰🌹❣️
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Educational and thought provoking blog post Antonia. Well, luckily I really don’t go out that much so I have no vacation goals this summer.
Also, I think, it is better to just relax and drink lots of water. Great tips for summer living and advice for beating the summer effects such as avoiding alcohol🍷, because some may get too drunk to remember where they are😂😂👏
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Aww so glad you found this post informative!
Sunbathing in under the roasting sunshine is overrated anyway. It won’t be thanking your skin in 10 years time!
I second that. Water is extremely beneficial whilst also being a necessity people often take for granted. Oh gosh, you don’t need to remind me – I have no desire to be a walking, talking, emphasis on sober sat-nav route operator.
There are many different ways to enjoy summer after all!
Thankyouu so much for sharing your great and humorous insight, Mthobisi!!🤗🤍
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💖🙏
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