Day 3 of “The 7 Sins of Summer Safety” Week: 5 Tips for Sidestepping Sun’s Harmful UVRays
July 2, 2009
Given the discomfort and skin damage brought about by overexposure to the sun, the failure to protect ourselves from the harmful UV rays the Sun is definitely a Summer Safety Sin. Ranging from sunburn to varied forms of skin cancers, the powerful Ultraviolet Rays of the Sun (UVA and UVB) reach out from about 92,000,000 miles away, leaving their mark on multiple layers of our skin.
Yesterday on Day 2 of "The 7 Sins of Summer Safety" week we looked at mosquitoes and ticks and how to combat them. We highlighted both topicals and technical apparel you can use battle the bugs. Today, two of the 5 Tips for "Sidestepping the Sun’s Harmful Rays" will focus on both clothing and creams as well.
Before we get into the tips, let’s take a quick look at a video on how to personally protect yourself from these pesky, interplanetary rays.
Now for the 5 Tips.
1. Watch the clock, calendar and your compass . From 10am to 3pm when the Sun, most times of the year, is high in our sky, its rays should be avoided. Mission Implausible, I know! Remember that time of year, notably Summer, your altitude (the higher you climb, the thinner the air, the thinner your protection) and your latitude also plays a role.
2. For many of us, whether we work, play or explore outdoors, the first tip is good to have, but nearly impossible to heed. Our next best bet is to protect our skin and our eyes while outdoors. Eyes? Oh yeah! Eyes can get sunburn from direct and reflected rays . Sun burned eyes or worse can be waiting if you choose not to protect them. Wear sunglasses that are rated to block UVA and UVB.
3. When it comes to SPF (Sun Protection Factor) ratings, there is a bit of math, some fuzzy. As a general rule, the SPF rating stands for the amount of time, in minutes, it would take for your skin to "redden" in the sun. If your skin would burn in 20 mins without protection, then 20 x15 would mean you could theoretically go 300 minutes without burning. There are so many additional factors, age, skin type, geographic location, your best bet is to reapply a broadband spectrum (UVA and UVB) if there is any question.
4. UPF (Ulraviolet Protection Factor)-determines a materials ability to repel solar rays. Clothing, including a broad-brimmed hat, (I love my Tilley Hats) with an UPF of 50 only allows 1/50th of the UV radiation to reach out and touch you. In other words, it blocks 49/50ths or 98% of the UV radiation. Look for it it shirts, pants, scarfs and hats.
5. Don’t count on the clouds for anything other than rainwater hydration. Clouds do little to cover us from harmful UV rays, so don’t fall for the "Overcast is OK" mentality. If you’re out, you’re exposed .
Now, before we go, we need to look at the flip side of the coin.
We should remember the Sun helps our bodies in the generation of Vitamin D and numerous studies show that a deficiency in Vitamin D might lead to, according to a U.S. News and World Report, "a host of diseases, including osteoporosis, heart disease, and cancers of the breast, prostate, and colon. What’s more, sunlight has other hidden benefits—like protecting against depression, insomnia, and an overactive immune system."
As always, moderation is the key. We need to look at the full spectrum, the pros and cons, of Sunlight. Our focus should always be on our overexposure to UV rays not the total avoidance of them.
MORE 2 EXPLORE
Tomorrow on BuriedLogic: Day 4 of the 7 Sins of Summer Safety Week; Neglecting to procure emergency power and lighting.
Topics: Brian Brawdy, Come Rving, Emergency Preparedness, Gear to Get, survival expert brian brawdy |
Toby Says:
July 3rd, 2009 at 5:17 am
If you are interested in vitamin D you should take a look at http://www.vitaminD3world.com The Canadian Cancer Society now recommends that everyone take vitamin D to prevent cancer. The site has good summaries of the data and offers a new preparation of vitamin D in a micro-pill formulation. The pills have been formulated with cellulose which absorbs water very quickly. This ensures that the pill breaks up very quickly to provide for maximum absorption. The micro pill is tiny and tasteless. Many vitamin D pills on the market have very poor dissolution properties resulting in poor absorption.
The site also offers to supply customers with a free supply of 400IU for their children and it also has a good newsletter.