Sun Kissed: 5 Tips to Protect Your Skin from the Sun This Summer

It’s become pretty common knowledge that the ever-stronger UV rays from the sun are capable of damaging your skin much further than just a nasty sunburn or uneven tan line. It’s more important now more than ever to protect your skin from the sun. UV rays are capable of causing sun spots, dry skin, premature aging in the form of wrinkles, and so much more. All things associated with aging or less-than-perfect skin are a woman’s worst nightmare, which is why we’re out there trying to get our tans on in the first place, right?

So, how are you supposed to enjoy the beach (ahem, get a killer tan) and summer fun without being worried about permentantly damaging your skin?

We’ve done some research and put together a list of 5 of the most realistic and achievable (come on, we all know we’re not going to stay out of the sun entirely) tips to protect your gorgeous self this summer:

1. Cover Up. According to science, the sun’s rays are the strongest between 10am and 4pm; which we probably all already knew. So if you’re spending a day at the pool, at the beach, or just know you’re going to be in the sun between these hours, plan to cover up for at least half of that time. Although this sounds super lame, and reminds you of your mom making you wear a t-shirt at the beach, this is actually the perfect excuse for you to invest in some super cute cover-ups. For example, the Erica Maree Jay Jay Jacket.

Erica Maree Jay Jay Linen Jacket: $24.99USD

2. Lather Up. Yes, wearing sunscreen is a given. We’ve all been told a bajillion times we need to wear sunscreen. But what if you have super sensitive skin? Lots of people react differently to sunscreen. Different kinds of sunscreen can cause break outs, discomfort, and even allergic reactions. We recommend doing some research and investing in a high quality organic mineral sunscreen. There are plenty of innovative brands coming out with affordable non-toxic sunscreens that are easy on sensitive skin, but will still protect your skin from the sun. However, the same rules apply: it’s best to apply sunscreen 20 – 30 minutes before exposure to allow for the SPF to kick in and avoid burning.

3. But Don’t Use Tanning Oils. Honestly, this is basically the equivalent of lathering yourself in cooking oil. Just don’t do it. Tanning oils intensify ultraviolet rays and actually end up essentially cooking your skin. Most doctors stress that we shouldn’t be sunbathing at all, but let’s be real here, we’re probably not going to give it up completely, however we can decide not to use oils.

4. There is no such thing as a “base burn”. Particularly if you’re naturally a fair-skinned person, if you’re going to sunbath it’s really important to wear high SPF and start slowly so that your skin can naturally build up melanin (produces pigment in our skin). The concept of a “base burn” is completely false. You DO NOT need to burn first in order to tan. Actually it’s the opposite, even just a minor burn destroys the skin cells in that layer of skin and you’ll be back to square one once it’s healed. Think of it this way: to your skin, a sun burn is essentially the same thing as if you’d pressed a hot iron to it.

5. Get a super cute hat. It’s super important to protect our faces from the sun as much as possible. The skin on our faces and on the top of our heads is very sensitive, and actually most cases of skin cancer occur on the head. One of the best (and duh, most fashionable) ways to protect face and head from the sun is with a hat! We love wide-brimmed sun hats, but we also love the classics. We’ve got beachy embroidered trucker hats and beaded snapbacks that you’ll love for hot summer days when you need a fashionable way to protect your skin from the sun.

With the arrival of summer and the excitement of camping trips, beach days, festival season and more, it’s important to protect your skin from the sun and from harmful UV rays, but it doesn’t have to be as difficult as you’d think!

Plus, you’re going to need a place to put everything while you’re on the go. Our beach bags, cosmetic bags, and other oilcloth accessories are the perfect way to keep everything in one place while relying on the durability and waterproof features of Mexican oilcloth to keep your things safe.

Here at the Erica Maree studio, which doubles as a bohemian fashion and accessory shop in beautiful Puerto Vallarta, we believe in the value of supporting artisans whose handicrafts have been passed down for generations. Each one of our pieces is created by hand with heart and soul, and provides fair labor wages for artisans in order to keep the magic of traditional Mexican hand embroidery alive.

As always, thanks for shopping handmade!