Sun Protection: What Your Beach Bags Need This Summer

Summer is finally here! The sun is hotter than ever. So taking care of your skin is important. When you head out to the beach this summer, make sure to pack some sunscreen for everyone in the family.

Indirect sunlight exposure can leave you burnt just as well as laying out in the sun directly. Sand actually reflects 20 percent of UV rays, so make sure to keep it covered, even in the shade or outside on a cloudy day. Be sure to apply an extra layer of protection on burnprone areas such as the shoulders, nose, and feet. What happens if you do get burned?

Take a nice bath to help the pain. Apply gels and lotions that are aloe-based to calm redness. Know your body and skin. If the size, color, or shape of a mole or any spots change head to your doctor as soon as you can - they could be cancerous. Sunburns are only part of the worry - one in five Americans develop skin cancer and 90 percent of those incidents will have been from overexposure to the sun. (Mario Badescu Skin Care Aloe Moisturizer (SPF 15), $22, mariobadescu.com) Make sure to keep your skin moisturized. Moist skin is healthy skin. The dryer your skin, the more prone it is to overexposure. However, most sunscreens contain lotions to help keep you protected.

Protecting your body doesn't have to be hard or an inconvenience. Before heading out, apply sunscreen about 30 minutes prior to. You want the ingredients to soak into your skin. When applying, make sure your sunscreen protects against both UVA rays, which age, and UVB rays which burn. An easy solution are sunscreen wipes, they protect against these rays but also help remove irritating sand too! (Estee Lauder Multi-Protection Sun Towelettes for Body SPF15, $25 per pack, esteelauder.com)