DIY Landscaping / Sun Protection
Sunscreen
Most seasoned long time gardeners that spend a lot of time in the garden and landscape understand how important it is to protect ourselves from the harmful rays of the sun. Generally, they'll be dressed in full sleeves, long pants, and a large brim hat.
However, many first time do it yourself landscapers may be so focused on creating their landscaping ideas that they give sunscreen protection very little if any thought at all. While they may be spending very little time outdoors, it only takes one sunburn to greatly increase the risks of getting skin cancer.
Protecting yourself from the harmful effects of the sun is not something that should be taken lightly. Wearing a hat, sunglasses, and long clothing to cover exposed areas is a good start for good protection. However, all skin areas that are exposed need to be protected.
Most people know that UV rays from the sun help contribute to wrinkles, skin aging, and increase the risk of skin cancer. What many don't understand is that many sunscreen and sunblock products don't protect us from aging and cancers of the skin.
There are two kinds of ultaviolet rays - UVA and UVB rays. Sunburn is mainly caused by UVB rays, while aging, wrinkles, and cancers of the skin are caused mostly by the suns UVA rays.
Most sun blocks rated at 15 or higher do a decent job of protecting us from the UVB rays and sunburn, but offer very little protection against UVA rays, skin cancer, wrinkles, and aging.
A good sun screen needs to protect you from both UVA and UVB rays. Many of the available products boast this on their labeling. However, much of the time, it isn't true.
Check the labeling. For a sun screen to block both types of rays it must have at least one of the following ingredients in it:
Titanium Dioxide
Avobenzone
Zinc Oxide
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