As mother nature is preheating her oven to roast Florida once again this year, please keep in mind that our sun is brutal!

As a matter of fact even up north your sun can be awfully hot and even there you could end up like a roast that is nearly cooked…

Now there is a much more important reason to prevent sunburn other than sunburn being mighty uncomfortable. Sunburn does serious damage to the underlying skin layers, and since your skin is your largest organ which protects you and serves multiple functions such as helping you regulate your temperature, it is really important to take care of this largest organ of your body to ensure that it can do its job! The damage to skin layers can ultimately result in permanent sun damage and even skin cancer. If you have ever spoken to someone that is undergoing treatment for skin cancer, then you may know that the treatments like chemo cream or surgeries are less than pleasant even more unpleasant than sunburn.

According to American Academy of Dermatology Association:

Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the United States. Current estimates are that one in five Americans will develop skin cancer in their lifetime. It is estimated that approximately 9,500 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with skin cancer every day.

https://www.aad.org/media/stats-skin-cancer

Below are some tips to stay safe and cool!

  • Hydrate hydrate hydrate
  • Wear a hat or a baseball cap, it will help prevent heatstroke
  • Wear sunglasses, it will protect your eyes!
  • Wear sunscreen or wear long sleeve shirts – fishing shirts and swimshirts are amazing!
  • Do your gardening chores such as watering early in the morning and be done before 11 am

If you do get sunburned:

  • Hydrate hydrate hydrate- did I say hydrate? Make sure you use electrolyte water.
  • Apply vinegar -soak rags or paper bags in vinegar and lay them over the sunburned skin, it will cool and take out the burn.
  • Apply menthol shaving cream, it cools and takes out the burn
  • Apply aloe generously and keep applying as needed
  • Apply coconut oil combined with a few drops of lavender essential oil to rehydrate your skin
  • Cover up well when you go outside as to prevent further burns and recurrent burns