Something we know but are we actually doing?

The sun is something that most of us crave. If you live in a climate that is cold for a good part of the year ( Oh Canada), you likely value those spring and summer months and want to spend lots of time outdoors. Not only does the sun provide our skin with a glow, it provides good old vitamin d and the warmth of it feels so good.

But lets get serious, as much as we love the sun, the damage that it can do to your skin and other parts of your body is nothing to take lightly.

Along with the UV rays from the sun, we may be causing damage to our skin from being on our computers and phones. There has been much talk lately about blue light ( HEV -high energy visible light) having the same damage on our skin as the sun.

Recently I had a bit of scare which I posted on my instagram story. I noticed one day that my eye seemed red and was irritated. I assumed it was a broken blood vessel and I didn’t make a big deal of it. After a week it was starting to feel inflamed and I also noticed a white dot on the white of my eye. So of course I took to google (wrong thing to do – and I know this but I could not help myself) I knew something was wrong so I made an emergency appointment with my Optometrist.

My diagnosis – Pinguecula – are non-cancerous bumps on the eyeball and typically occur on top of the middle part of the sclera — the part that’s between your eyelids and therefore is exposed to the sun…..Ultraviolet radiation from the sun is the primary cause of the development of Pingueculae.

All I could focus on was the words UV and SUN DAMAGE. I starting feeling really guilty about all the times I did not take sun protection seriously. I usually always wear sunscreen and sunglasses but the key word here is usually. There have been times were I have not applied sunscreen or wore sunglasses, and in reality we should always be applying SPF and wearing shades even in the winter months. Lately Ive heard of so many people my age having sun damage related skin issues and it really is scary. We all have the mentality that “it wont happen to me”, but the sun is not here to play. There are many benefits that the sun provides but that shouldn’t stop us from protecting our skin, and in my case my eyes.

Top picks for body and face sunscreen

I am very picky when it comes to using products on my skin. I have super sensitive skin and after trying many products these are my essentials.

Don’t forget about your eyes

As for eye care, sunglasses are important but you must make sure they are polarized. This is something that I just learned at my appointment. Not all sunglasses are polarized, and in most cases the high-end designer shades we all love are not the best protection for your eyes. Thankfully you can get your lenses replaced but when your shopping for your new pair always make sure to get the best protection for your eye.

Simple habits to protect your skin

• Apply sunscreen to your face daily even if it is cloudy
• Ensure your sunscreen has UVA and UVB protection and its waterproof
• Reapply at least every two hours
• Wear hats and keep your body covered or in the shade if possible
• Keep infants under 6 months old out of the sun
• Make sure you are wearing you polarized sunglasses

Having tanned skin, feeling that warmth on your body, and being outside enjoying nature are all things I live for. I love to travel and beaches are my favourite place to spend my time. But eve if its cloudy or you only think you’ll be outside for a short time, sunscreen and sunglasses need to be apart of your routine.

Protecting my skin has been a priority but maybe one I did not take as serous as I should have. I have pledged to myself that I will continue to take better care of my skin and protect myself from the UV and I encourage everyone to do the same.