You should look after and take care of your skin all year round and make sure you use the right protection. For example products you use during the hotter summer months may not be suitable during the harsh cold winter months because of the different environments your skin faces. Colder winter weather can be just has harsh on our skin as the hot summer weather, just in different ways, so you need to make sure you use products that are designed to reflect this.

For day cream you need to for an antioxidant packed formula and ingredients that seal in moisture, because during the winter you get a lot less sunlight because of weather and that you wear more clothing, sunlight is essential for your skin, so in winter you need to use specific creams to add vitamins and minerals you are missing.

You also need to take good care of your hands in the colder months, as the cold weather can dry them out. Always remember to wear protective gloves for household tasks, particularly when immersing your hands in hot water or gardening in cold weather.

During the summer months many people find they exfoliate their skin on a weekly basis to keep it looking good, however many fall out of this routine during the winter months because their bodies are covered up more. However it’s more important to exfoliate during the winter, you should exfoliate twice a week to remove the dead skin cells that will dull your complexion and prevent the skin absorbing moisture.

We have looked at keeping our skin protected when out in the sun but there are also precautions to be taken to keep our bodies safe and healthy when the sun is out and the temperatures soar.

We are always reminded by various media out lets that when the weather heats up we must, must, must keep hydrated, yet many people do not heed this advice.  When its hot you perspire more therefore you will need to drink more fluid to replace what is lost, so listen to your body, when you feel thirsty some water. Thirst is your bodies early warning system when your dehydrated so don’t ignore it, but do remember some liquids are not as good as others, such as alcohol, you need to avoid drinking alcohol when spending long hours out in the sun, otherwise it will only dehydrate you further and make you feel worse.

Make sure you protect your eyes too when the suns out, they too can be permanently damaged by the harmful UV rays you should make sure that your sunglasses block 99% of UVB rays and 95% of UVA rays, it doesn’t mean you have to spend a fortune on them to do that, many are affordable.

When spending any length of time out in the sun it’s important to keep a regular check on your body for any moles or any changes in the ones you have, as it’s an early warning sign for skin cancer, if you find any that have changed shape or colour or one that is new then you should pay a visit to your GP to have them checked out.

Summer is finally hear and it’s a great time to get outside and enjoy the glorious sunshine, but you must make sure your skin is fully protected from those harmful UV rays, because although we don’t always see lots of sun it’s still there and now with the fastest growing cancer amongst Brits being malignant melanoma – skin cancer now i the time to be vigilant. So below are so top tips for staying safe in the sun!

Sunlight is good for the skin as it allows vitamin D to be absorbed through the skin however like many things too much sunlight can be bad for your health. Its best to gradually start sunbathing, so instead of going out on the first day we have sun and staying in it all day you should start out with short sessions of about 10 mins before building up to longer sessions of around an hour. Remember that the most intense heat is between noon and 4pm so stay in the shade then.

The amount of time you spend out in the sun also can depend on a number of factors such as fair skin, red hair, a history of sunburn or skin cancer in the family or a big number of moles or freckles if this applies to you then you will need to take extra care in the sun.

Sun cream, it’s amazing how many people don’t put on any when they are out in the sun, many suffer from severe sun burn which can affect you for many years, it’s important towear at least a factor 15 minimum lotion to keep out both UVA and UVB rays. It’s also important to re apply your sun cream every 30 minutes to keep fully protected.

When applying your sun tan lotion or cream or gel it’s important to cover everywhere on your body, many people miss key areas such as Elbows, ears, the neck and soles your feet all of which have thinner skin which makes them more vulnerable to painful burning.

For those who wish to achieve dark tanned skin there really is only one safer way to do this and that is to fake it, although it’s not know what effects of fake tanning products which contain dihydroxyacetone, or DHA have on our bodies it’s still safer than over exposing your skin to UV rays whether from the sun or a tanning bed.