Protect Yourself From the Harmful Sun While Doing Your Fall Yard Cleanup

09 Oct Protect Yourself From the Harmful Sun While Doing Your Fall Yard Cleanup

Keep Safe in the Garden: Protecting Yourself from the Sun

From The Pond Blog

Fall cleanup is a long process for most homeowners.   It’s never anything that is insurmountable, but it does require a day or two of being outside, raking leaves, pruning bushes, mulching, etc.   Just because we are experiencing Fall, and running headlong into Winter, doesn’t mean that weekend warriors need to ignore the Sun’s harmful rays.  UV light can be just as harmful to the skin and eyes in the Fall as it is in midsummer.  This post from The Pond Blog reminds us of the importance of Sunscreens regardless of the season.

Here is an excerpt from the post:

Hopefully, by now pretty much every regular gardener knows that gardening without some sun protection can be damaging to your skin and health. Many gardeners use sun shirts and hats to keep themselves protected, and this is a great way to be safe. Sunscreen is also a viable way to keep yourself safe from the sun’s harmful rays, but there are a few things about sunscreen that you might not know.

SPF 30 blocks about 97% of the suns harmful UV rays. What most people don’t realize is that studies have shown that SPF ratings higher than 30 also only block about 97% of these rays, so the difference is negligible. It’s important to remember this, as very high SPF numbers give a lot of people a false sense of security, leading them to use less sunscreen or stay out in the sun longer.

SPF ratings only apply to UVB rays. Make sure to use a quality sunblock that blocks UVA rays as well. Sunscreens with titanium dioxide, avebenzone, or zinc oxide all provide good UVA protection.

You need to really slather it on. Studies have shown that most people use significantly less sunscreen than is required for full protection. Some of these studies have even suggested that most sunscreen users apply 10% or less of what they should, which can greatly reduce the protection the sunscreen provides.

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