why
should you care about summer skin care? It’s not that big of a deal right? And besides, everyone knows you need a tan to look good which means “laying out” and
working on that golden brown skin.
Not true. And not good for your skin! Summer skin care is so important because
during the summer months the sun’s rays are more direct. This means more heat
and more opportunity for those rays to damage your beautiful skin.
First of all, let’s t alk about those rays. The sun emits three different types of UV radiation or rays:
UVA Rays:
Weakest of the UV rays but still
causes skin cells to age, wrinkle,
and might play a role in some
skin cancers.
UVB Rays:
UVC Rays:
Slightly stronger and mainly
responsible for direct damage to DNA. They cause sunburns and most skin cancers.
Strongest of the UV rays but
they react with the atmosphere and cannot reach the
ground.
Obviously we’re exposed to UV rays when we are outside playing at the beach or going for a run. But
even if it’s cloudy or we’re sitting in the shade, the rays can go through the clouds or bounce off reflective
surfaces. This means that you still need protect your skin whether in sun or shade to help prevent skin cancer as well as premature skin again and wrinkles.
Besides the sun, we can also be exposed to UV rays from man-made sources like tanning beds. It’s important to understand the risk you are taking when you are damaging your skin for the sake of a tan. Your risk
of getting skin cancer is higher every time you go tanning, especially if you start before the ago of 20. In
fact, it’s so risky that the American Cancer Society encourages us to not even use them. A great alternative is to use a self-tanning lotion or cream. You can find many reviews and information online about those
products.