Although Summer has gone and past, it doesn’t mean the sun will be any easier on us in the cooler months. The season of Autumn is no stranger to hot, humid, dry days and is often frequented by temperatures above 25’C. Last March, the average UV-index hovered around a 7-9 range which is considered high to very high. Prolonged time spent in the sun can result in sunburn, skin cancer, eye damage, wrinkling and cosmetic blemishes. Living in Australia means it is difficult to avoid our harsh UV rays – to protect your skin, here are a few helpful tips.

Sunscreen
One of the first signs of ageing appears in the face. Apply SPF30+ sunscreen to your face, neck and body 20 minutes before you go outdoors and reapply every two hours to ensure your protection. Sunscreen acts as a defensive barrier between the suns rays and your skin. The Dr Warwick Nettle daily defence moisture is perfect as a daily moisturiser and face sunscreen. It can be used to help calm redness and irritation and doesn’t clog your pores. It is available online here.

Lip Balm
Sometimes overlooked, lip protection such as a lip balm high in SPF will not only moisten your lips but protect your delicate lip tissues from the sun. Along with sunscreen, lip protection should be reapplied throughout the day.

Drink Water
Like every other organ in the body, the skin needs water to function at its best. Lack of hydration has prominent visual effects on the body including dry and flaky skin. Dry skin has less resilience and is more prone to wrinkling. Drinking at least 8 glasses of water a day to help rid your body and skin of toxins to promote healthy looking skin.

Seek Shade
A simple way to protect your skin from the sun and its harsh UV rays is to seek shade wherever you can. Limiting your time in the outdoors will decrease the chance of sunburns and other sun damage.
helpful tip – aim to schedule outdoor actives in the morning before 10am and in the afternoon after 3pm when the sun is not at it’s hottest.

Eat foods rich in Antioxidant
According to Readers Digests, eating antioxidants helps protect the skin from sun damage. However, the amount of antioxidants in your blood decreases when your skin is exposed to sunlight meaning it is important to maintain a consistent presence of antioxidants in the body. They recommend eating cherries, fatty fish, crimini mushrooms, pomegranates and sipping on green tea.