The sun will do wonderful things for our bodies. It helps our skin produce vitamin D, thus blessing our bones. It can literally lighten our mood and help our well-being, and it helps us keep our sleep schedule regular. All we need is 15-30 minutes of it every day! 

However, after those 15 minutes of sun the rays start to penetrate our skin cells and can cause damage. I’m sure you’re familiar with a sunburn, but the sun can do more than burn by affecting the DNA in our cells leading to early aging of the skin and increased risk of skin cancer. One of the best ways to get sun protection is by wearing good sunscreen. 

In a recent Doc Talk on Fox 13, Dr. P. Daniel Ward shared what makes a sunscreen effective. “Prevention is always best. You can prevent it with a good titanium-dioxide or zinc-oxide containing medical grade sunblock. Medical grade skincare is also important to nourish and replenish the issues with the skin.” The mineral components in the sunscreen help reflect the sun’s rays off your skin giving you the sun protection you need. It is especially important to put sunscreen on your face, neck, and hands as those are easy spots to miss that will show the effects of the sun as you start to age. If you’re looking for a good sunblock you can check out the ones Dr. Ward developed: Complete Sun Protection Tinted SPF 45 (tinted so it matches your skin color), Complete Sun Protection Clear SPF 45, or Physical Defense Sunblock 47.

Now, what if you’ve already gotten a sunburn? You’re probably looking for sunburn treatment. First, it is important to keep it moisturized and help keep the skin from drying out. Second, because it is a burn you can do things like cold compresses and cold showers to help ease the pain. One of our aestheticians, Sarah Parke, recommends her favorite summer skincare product for both its moisturizing and soothing elements: “Curing nectar is one of my favorites to always have on hand in the summertime! It’s healing benefits are incredible for sunburns, bugbites, prickle rash, and more. Moisturizer is always important but especially in our dry climate of Utah!” 

So start gearing up now so you can head outside for your summertime adventures without the fear of coming home with pink, peeling skin.