Summer is finally here and the sun is at it strongest during the month of June. We all know about the harmful affects of the suns rays can have on the skin causing premature aging and skin cancers. The sad fact is that the number of skin cancers in the UK is rising and in 2011 13,348 case of malignant melanomas were diagnosed. Making sure you protect your skin correctly is important.

Using a good quality sunscreen is essential and Obagi provides a range of excellent sunscreens that offer protection without feeling greasy. This makes them easy to incorporate into your daily skin care regime. All of their products are also non-conedonegic so you don’t get black heads and don’t produce any white marks like other sunscreens can. A number of the Obagi products also offer a blend of skin-identical ceramindes that help repair the skin. Sunscreeen must be used in combination with hats, sun protective clothing, sunglasses, and you should also try to avoid the sun between the hours of 10am – 2pm.

Follow these tips to stop premature aging and keep your skin healthy:

Uses sunscreen indoors.
There are two types of ultraviolet light UVA and UVB. Windows protect against UVB which causes sunburn, but not against UVA which causes brown spots and wrinkles. This is why you should incorporate sunscreen into your daily skincare regime even if you intend to spend most of your day indoors.

Don’t just apply sunscreen to your face.
In addition to you face most people do not wear clothes that cover their hands, ear, lips or decolletage. If you skin is not covered it will be exposed to either UVA or UVB light. It’s important therefore that you use sunscreen on these areas in addition to your face.

Wear sun protection clothing.
Hats, sunglasses and long sleeves all help reduce your skins exposure to the suns rays, but be careful. Light weight summer fabrics like linen, cotton or rayon can offer poor protection particularly if they are a light colour.

Avoid the sun during the middle of the day.
The sun is at its most powerful during the middle of the day. in the Summer months it is sensible to avoid the sun as much as possible during the ours of 10:00am and 2:00pm.

Seek the shade but still be aware.
It’s always a good idea to seek shade when ever possible but be aware that the suns rays can bounce off sand, water, concrete. This is true even during the winter months.