That’s right. The 4th of July is right around the corner. With all the other hazards on the 4th, we sometimes overlook this one.
We have all heard about skin cancer and sunburn. We know we should use a sunscreen and not get over-exposed and our skin will turn to leather.
BUT, every year millions of people are out there enjoying the festivities and they forget to reapply the sunscreen. OR, they forget that you can still get burned on a cloudy day. OR, they get tired and fall asleep in the sun.
Next thing you know, they have a sunburn and they swear “never again; next year I will remember”. Forget all the things that sun damage CAN do - a sunburn HURTS. It hurts when you are moving and it hurts when you are still. It hurts to wear clothes and it hurts if you don’t wear clothes. Then you start to itch and peel. One sunburn can ruin a week long vacation!
So, please make sure you use your sunscreen and take along some extra for others who may have forgotten theirs. Take along a floppy hat and a loose shirt. Don’t forget plenty of fluids so you stay hydrated.
If you have small children; keep a close eye on them to make sure they don’t get burned either. Especially, if they are playing in or around the water; they will need reapplications of sunscreen more frequently.
Have a safe and burn free holiday and please do NOT copy a pair of my friends who rented a boat and then decided to get an “all over tan”. A rocking boat on a warm summer day, a few drinks, no clothes, and: well, you get the picture. When they woke up, they were so badly sunburned, they had actually blistered in places where no one should EVER get burned.
Ouch! As a redhead I can’t go out for ten minutes without a burn on somedays. Sunburns are serious business. I hate the smell of most sunblocks. If only I could find a good, high protecting sunblock that comes unscented.
Comment by pixieled — June 30, 2007 @ 7:47 am
Since I have allergic reactions to a lot of things, including fragrances; finding a safe sunscreen was very high on my list of things to do.
I discovered a pair of australian sunscreens called “Blue Lizard - Sensitive” and “Baby Lizard”. They are made by the same company.
Both are SPF 30+ and they are fragrance free and chemical free. They are almost 100% “scent free” (nothing is 100%, if your nose is sensitive).
I live in AZ and I wouldn’t be able to go out and about without a sunscreen myself.
Comment by Gingers_Health_Corner — July 1, 2007 @ 12:40 pm
I’ll look and see if I can find them. A little bit of scent is ok. I have enough problem with bees thinking my red hair is a flower and I’m allergic to bees. I end up having to wear a hat on hot days. I don’t want to add scent to attract them. Even sunscreens with bug repellent seems to attract bees. Thanks again.
Comment by pixieled — July 1, 2007 @ 6:39 pm