Now that the kids are wrapping up the semester, many of you are putting the finishing touches on your plans for summer vacations. The important thing to remember about summer vacations is safety. It can be very easy to get relaxed and forget to do simple things like take steps to protect your skin from the sun. Here are some tips to take with you on summer vacation to help you protect your skin from the sun.

• There is no such thing as a “healthy tan.” But while sunbathing is a no-no for everyone, it’s an especially bad idea for fair-skinned people. Many of them can’t tan anyway and only risk getting a serious burn.
• Take care on cool, cloudy days. Damaging rays aren’t inhibited by clouds, and you can still get burned because ultraviolet light can penetrate cloud cover. Take precautions even when the sun isn’t shining brightly.
• Apply a sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15, let it soak in a few minutes, and then, for maximum protection, apply the zinc oxide paste. And if you’ll be going shoe less, you’d be wise to use the same level of protection on the tops of your feet.
• The [Skin Cancer] Foundation therefore recommends that you wear a hat made of a tightly woven fabric such as canvas rather than one of straw and that you wear a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 on your hands and other exposed areas.

Now you can go on vacation and relax, but keep your skin protected. What summer vacations are you planning? Tell us in a comment.

Source: How Stuff Works

Photo Credit: RachelHobbs