We cannot stress enough how important proper sun care is in the state of Florida. In the United States alone, there are more than one million new cases of skin cancer diagnosed each year. There are several things we can do to protect ourselves, as well as our loved ones from skin cancer.

The first step to proper skin care is wearing sunscreen on a daily basis, even if it’s overcast or you’re not planning to go outdoors! Why should we wear sunscreen indoors? Windows, including car windshields only protect us from the sun’s UVB rays, not UVA rays. The wrinkles and brown spots visible on our skin are actually caused by UVA rays. Sunscreen should be evenly applied everywhere, including the face, hands, lips, ears, neck and more. Remember to apply sunscreen15 to 30 minutes prior to stepping outside. Also, if you’re spending the day in the water, or sweating profusely, re-apply sunscreen every 30 minutes, even if you’re wearing waterproof or water-resistant sunscreen.

If you’re not able to reapply sunscreen, you may want to consider sun-protective clothing. A UPF rating, Ultraviolet Protection Factor from 15 to 50+ is used to rank the clothing. You’re most protected with a rating of 50+. Different fabrics offer different levels of protection. Basic sun protective clothing includes hats, long sleeved shirts and sunglasses.

You can also provide protection for your friends and family when lounging around the pool by installing a Florida pool enclosure. It’s still important to wear sunscreen when lounging under the enclosure, but the screen will help minimize the intensity of the suns’ harmful rays. Contact us today to learn more about our Florida pool enclosures.

What time of day do you think the suns’ rays are the most intense? Share your answer’s with us in our comments section, or on our White Aluminum Facebook page!