Keep safe while outside in the sun

By Kim Asche, University of Minnesota Extension

Whether you are going camping, going to the beach or simply heading out for little league games, it is more important than ever to remember sun safety. The American Cancer Society finds that skin cancer is the most common form of cancer, and the sun’s rays can have a negative affect not only on skin but on the immune system and eyesight as well.

With all of this information, it is important to protect your family’s health. The American Academy of Pediatrics came out with several important guidelines for sun safety that are easy to follow and simple to do.

Protecting your children is as simple as remembering two steps: plan and protect.

Plan ahead:
• Plan outdoor activities in the mornings or late afternoons to avoid the sun’s strongest rays, which happen between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m.
• If you plan to be outside, apply sunscreen one-half hour before going out, so it has time to work on the skin.
• Dress in clothes that protect against the sun. Hold the clothes up to the light to make sure they are made of tightly woven fabrics that will keep out the sun’s rays. Dress babies in light, long sleeved clothes.
• Hats and sunglasses help keep the sun out of eyes. Check that the hat shades the ears and neck, too.
• If your child goes to daycare, summer school or camp, remember to pack a bottle of sunscreen in his or her bag every day.

Protect:
• Always use sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher. Look for the words “broad-spectrum” on the label. Broad spectrum sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB rays.
• Reapply sunscreen after swimming, sweating or toweling off, even with waterproof sunscreen.
• Reapply sunscreen every two hours.
• Use sunscreen even on cloudy days.
• Zinc oxide is a safe sunblock that can be applied to the nose, cheeks and shoulders to give extra protection.
• Babies less than six months old should never be in direct sunlight. Keep them in the shade under trees, in strollers or under shelters.

Following these guidelines will help protect your family this summer while you enjoy the weather and have fun together!

(Kim Asche is a 4-H youth development educator with University of Minnesota Extension in Hutchinson.)