Time your sun exposure

According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “The hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. daylight savings time (9 a.m. to 3 p.m. standard time) are the most hazardous for UV exposure outdoors in the continental United States. UV rays from sunlight are the greatest during the last spring and early summer in North America.”

If you want to enjoy outdoor activities during summer, Sears Imported Autos recommends working them in during early morning hours or later in the day. This strategy protects your skin and ensures that you don't overexert yourself in the warmest times of the day.

Apply a sun screen product

Sun screen products can be purchased as a cream, lotion, or spray. Only products that have a sun protective factor (SPF) of 15 or higher are rated most effective. Choose a product that offers both UV and UVA protection, with a label that promises “broad spectrum” protection. Don’t forget to check the expiration date.

Apply the product liberally and frequently when you’re in the sun. Even if the product you’re using promises not to wash off in water, reapply it every 30 minutes. The Skin Cancer Foundation states, “Daily sunscreen use cuts melanoma risk in half.”

Cover up

If you know that you’ll be spending a lot of time outdoors gardening, playing a sport, or simply walking, wear a broad-brimmed hat and cover up with opaque, light weight clothing. One of the most common places skin cancer forms is the head and ears. Even after you apply sunscreen to your skin, cover up for an extra layer of protection.

Use skin moisturizing products

After bathing daily, apply a skin moisturizing cream or lotion that absorbs into your skin. Sun exposure dries out your skin, especially if you have allowed your skin to burn. Eventually burned skin will begin to flake off in unsightly sheets of dried skin. Your skin will appreciate a layer of moisturizer to help seal in natural oils all year round.

A scary statistic from the Skin Cancer Foundation is that if you have had five or more sunburns at any age, your risk to develop melanoma doubles. You can keep your skin safe from the summer sun by being informed of the dangers, thus allowing you to practice safe sun habits.