Summers is one of the most enjoyable times of the year that offers a chance to revitalize and refresh body as well as the mind. Enjoying the basking sunrays can be fun and enrich you naturally with Vitamin D, however, makes you susceptible to increased risk of sunburns, skin cancer and signs of premature aging.

People consistently search for effective means to protect the skin from the scorching summer heat. Through this blog, we will familiarize you with some of the best remedies and means to prevent sunburn.

Effective Ways to Protect Skin from Sunburn

We will now list some of the best and most effective ways and remedies to protect your skin from sunburn:

1. Limit your Time in the Sun: You must not opt for spending the entire day in the scorching sun rays, instead limit the time you spend taking in natural Vitamin D. You must prefer to avoid the sun during the peak hours since the sun rays are most harmful at those times. You can consider sitting in the sun for limited hours to protect your skin from the harmful UV rays and prefer staying inside most of the time to prevent sunburn. 

2. Use a Broad Spectrum and appropriate SPF Sunscreen: It is best to wear a good SPF and broad-spectrum sunscreen to protect your skin from the scorching summer heat. Make sure to select a sunscreen on the basis of its SPF factor and the amount of protection it offers to your skin. Prefer a sunscreen that has fairly good SPF and that offers protection against both UVA and UV B rays. Apply it gently covering your entire skin and consider re-applying it every two hours in case your sun exposure is high. 

3. Wear Dark, Thick Clothing/Wear the Right Clothes: Wearing dark long-sleeved shirts and pants offers a greater protection from sunburn when compared to tank tops and shorts. Prefer dark clothing made up of thick materials since they protect your skin from sunburn more as compared to light colored clothes made up of thin materials. Remember that the more you cover your skin with clothing, the more protected your skin will be. Therefore, opt for clothes that offer the maximum protection against the scorching summer heat.

Follow Healthy and Balanced Diet/Eat More Antioxidants: One of the best ways to stay hydrated and prevent sunburn is to eat the right food. Consuming more antioxidants offers some protection against the harmful sun rays. You can opt for a healthy diet comprising highly hydrating green vegetables such as cucumber, zucchini, tomatoes, eggplant, etc, fresh and juicy fruits such as watermelons, melons, etc and fresh juices. Drink plenty of water and green tea to prevent sunburn. You must include dietary fats and oils in your diet to boost up your skin protection. 

Stay in the Shade: Staying in the shade is a great way to prevent sunburn. You can use oversized umbrellas while stepping out that will offer your skin maximum protection from the harmful sun rays and serve effectively in preventing sunburn. 

Use Head Accessories to Avoid Sun Exposure: Scalp is the region that majority of us neglect while protecting our skin from the scorching sun heat. Women can opt for a stylish cap or a wide-brimmed hat while men can opt for a bucket hat or a Panama hat. Hats and caps are highly effective in protecting your skin and preventing sunburns since they shield your eyes, ears, scalp, and neck. You can also use stalls and small clothing pieces to cover up your face, ears, and scalp.

Wear Sunglasses: Sunglasses is the best means of protecting your eyes from sun damage. You must opt for sunglasses that offer 100% protection against harmful UV rays, wrap completely around the eyes and don’t slip down your nose. Wearing eye protection/sunglasses is important to protecting your eye region from the harmful UV rays since sun damage to the eyes can cause cataract and pterygium that blocks vision. 

Avoid Reflective Surfaces: Avoid reflective surfaces such as sand, water, and snow since they reflect the majority of the sun rays and cause extensive sunburn. Exposure to reflective surfaces is the major reason why people experience sunburns at the beach or on a ski trip. Make sure to cover every exposed body part with sunscreen in case you are unable to avoid reflective surfaces. 

Balance your Mineral Intake: Deficiencies of certain minerals like magnesium and zinc increases the risk of sun rashes and sunburn. Make sure to get your mineral status evaluated and consume mineral rich foods from both plants as well as animal sources.

Rub Coconut Oil on the Skin: Coconut oil possesses excellent skin healing properties and protects skin from the harmful sunlight. Researchers reveal that applying coconut oil on skin boosts up the natural defense mechanism of skin through the powerful antioxidants it releases into the skin and prevents skin damage from prolonged sun exposure.

Don’t opt a base tan: Tanning beds lead to skin damage that is far higher than that achieved through tanning yourself in the skin. Some people rely on false assumptions that their skin is tan and will not burn on sun exposure consequently laying out to establish a base to protect their skin. It is noteworthy that a tan does not offer any protection from the damaging sun rays and regular tanning can cause long-term and irreversible skin damage. Therefore, make it a point not to use artificial tans since they cause more damage than benefit. 

Wear UPF Clothing: Some clothing is made up of fabrics that offer built-in sun protection. You can opt for UPF clothing to protect your skin from harmful and damaging sun rays. Make sure to check out the item’s UPF factor while making a purchase to see the amount of protection it offers against the harmful sun rays. You can opt for clothing having a UPF factor of 40 to 50 since it offers extensive protection against the harmful sun rays.

Conclusion: We hope that going through this blog will definitely familiarize you with some of the best tips and means to protect your skin from sunburn.