Use that Sunscreen!

In case no one told you, Hawaii sun is HOT!

Yes, we have lovely trade winds and an ocean to cool you, and yes, we have overcast days sometimes that don’t feel so sunshiny, but that doesn’t mean our hallmark sun isn’t shining on above our beautiful islands.

With sun comes UV rays, which can cause sunburns in the short term, and add to the wrinkles in the long term.  To avoid both, make sure you use sunscreen liberally throughout your Hawaii vacation.

Here are a few basic sunscreen rules:

  1. Apply 30 minutes before going into the sun.

  2. Don’t forgot these commonly missed spots: tops of ears, neck, bottoms of feet, your whole back, and the top of your head (or along your part-line, if you have one).

  3. Reapply after swimming or every two hours, whichever is soonest.  Yup! even if you sprung for the ‘waterproof’ or ‘sweat-proof’ sunscreen, you still need to reapply.

  4. Use whether it’s a sunny day or not. (A friend of mine on his honeymoon here thought since it was a cloudier day he was fine, and burned his legs so much that when they were at the beach for the next week he had to keep them covered when with a sarong).

  5. Check the expiration date.  If you don’t have any before you leave home, I suggest you buy it here as this product does not sit on the shelf for long and it’ll be fresher with a longer expiration date.

The sun's rays are most harmful between 10am and 4pm.

Some people foolishly avoid using sunscreen because they think it will prevent them from tanning while in Hawaii. Not only is this not true, why chance the pain and inconvenience of a sunburn, not to mention the increased risk of skin cancer? If you get a severe burn, you could literally be cooped up in your hotel room, or have to wear long sleeves and pants because any bit of sunshine is too painful, or worse yet, end up in the hospital.

Trust me! Buy that sunscreen and use it often! The small amount of time it takes is well worth the benefits.

Brought to you by Travel to Paradise - your Hawaii Travel Agent vacation expert!

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