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YES, SO LONG AS YOU ARE WELL PREPARED
Whether you run, sail, play pétanque, kayak or ride horses, doing sport outdoors in the summer is pure bliss. To make sure you keep having fun and stay safe, remember to stay hydrated and protect your skin and eyes.
The aim, naturally, is for you to get the most out of being in the sun when there is some. And, of course, do a sport for a maximum amount of time outdoors. UV rays are not inoffensive. Exposing yourself in the sun for too long without protection means you risk getting sunburn or sunstroke. The sun can harm your eyes, accelerate the process of skin ageing and can even cause skin cancer. To avoid these issues, follow these golden rules:
In ancient cultures, the sun was honoured as the symbol of life. It provides plants, animals and humans with the light and warmth they need to develop. And who hasn't noticed that feeling of happiness when the sun appears... It instantly affects your mood, your well-being and supports developing a regular sleep pattern. It helps us to synthesize vitamin D, which we need for our bones to absorb sufficient amounts of calcium and phosphorus. And it is also very important for children.
Each skin requires protection that is suitable for the UV rays' intensity, duration of exposure and the activity you do. Your UV ray sensitivity – or phototype – depends on the colour of your skin. Avoiding the sun between 12 and 4 pm is nevertheless the best plan action for everyone
Their skin is thinner and more sensitive to that of adults. Sunburn and intensive exposure to the sun during childhood increases the risk of skin cancer in adulthood. A sun protection factor of SPF 50+ is recommended up to the age of 15 years old. There is only one peace of advice for babies: don't expose them to the sun.
Regularly inspect your skin and that of your family. Be careful when dealing with any cut that doesn't heel easily or changes aspect. If in doubt, don't hesitate to consult a skin specialist. It is recommended for people with a phototype 1 or 2, to get a full skin inspection from head to toe by a dermatologist or their general practitioner.
Sunscreen products are available in different forms. Choose the one that seems the most practical for each moment you use it and take a sun protection factor that is suitable to your skin type. The filters protect against harmful ultraviolet rays. If you do a water sport, you must choose a waterproof product. After 80 minutes in the water, it is no longer effective and you must apply a new layer. If you sweat a lot when doing your sport, it is also worth thinking about buying a waterproof product, especially if you want to prevent your eyes from stinging.
These products last two to three years when not opened. Once opened they last a maximum of a year. Have you still got some from last year? Start by applying a protective layer from a new tube. Once you have finished with the new product, you can continue with the older ones, but you should be aware that they might have lost their filtering properties. After a long winter and a spring that's still cool, let your skin get used to the sun again. Its first protective layer must, therefore, be the most effective. If you have sun protection products opened for over a year or non-opened sun products, which have passed their expiry date, you will, unfortunately, have to throw them away.
Even if you give your skin the best possible sun protection, you still have to take care of it after exposure to the sun. To do this, select a soothing and moisturising lotion. Preferably made from natural ingredients, free of paraben or other harmful substances. Aloe Vera and Calendula constitute miraculous plant based after sun treatments. If you still manage to get sunburn. In this case, you must treat a burn as if it was a wound, using for example Flamigel. Ask your chemists for advice.
THE ESSENTIAL ACCESSORY: SPORTS SUNGLASSES Your eyes are also sensitive to the sun. It is therefore wise to buy a pair of good quality sunglasses. Always check the CE standard. It is divided into 4 categories indicating the level of protection. CE4 represents the highest level of protection. The suitability of sunglasses will depend on your face shape, the sport activity you do and the places where you mostly do your sport. Both the frame and lens must be suitable for movement, active use, whilst being resistant to sweat and minor shocks. So they must be sturdy, flexible, non-slip, and especially comfortable and lightweight to wear. Some sports require sunglasses that have a specific shape or modular glasses. For maximum protection against reflected glare from the water you can, for example, wear polarized lens that changes colour in the light and provides a contrasting image of the playing pitch or the ground, anti-fogging lens to prevent condensation, etc. There are plenty of options. Our team members will happily advise on the trying them out and the choice available.
Even the best sun cream there is cannot provide sufficient protection after several hours of surfing, bodyboarding or sailing. The sun's reflection on the surface of the water very quickly heightens its effects. With a UV sun protective T-shirt or wetsuit, you double the amount of time you can spend in the water. Getting a basic cotton T-shirt wet reduces its protective properties by as much as half. Photoprotector clothing is treated with a sun protection product and/or woven with a specific technique. In compliance with European standards, clothing displaying an ultraviolet protection factor (UPF) greater than 30 "protects against UV rays" and those that display an ultraviolet protection factor greater than 40 are categorised as "Excellent UV Protection". They are marked EN 13758-2 40+.
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