We all love when the sky is a pretty blue with a scattering of puffy clouds and a heaping helping of bright sunshine. Many of our best memories are made outdoors. From early afternoon picnics to lazy days spent at the beach to fun outings at the park, sunny days are the best kind of days. However, in all the busyness of those fun times in the sun, sometimes we forget to protect ourselves from the sun’s rays. Here is a quick look at how the sun ages your skin and what you can do to protect yourself from that damage.

What are three signs that your skin may have aged due to sun exposure?

• The first sign you may notice is loss of moisture in the skin. Skin that has been damaged by the sun often loses some of its moisture and essential oils. This results in skin that is dry and can be scaly or itchy.

• Another sign that your skin has been damaged is sunburned skin. Skin that has been exposed to the sun for too long can redden and hurt. Not only is this sort of sun injury painful, but frequent sunburns can increase your risk of skin cancer.

• A third sign that your skin has been damaged by the sun is an increase in wrinkles. Sun-exposure damages the elastin in your skin, making your skin sag and loosen. It is no longer as elastic and doesn’t spring back when stretched, which increases skin wrinkling.

What are some ways you can prevent your skin from aging prematurely?

• Limit the amount of time you spend in the sun, especially between the hours of 10 am and 3 pm, when the sun’s rays are at their strongest and most damaging.

• Slather on the sun block. Choose a sun block with an SPF of at least 30. Also, be sure that your sun block is broad spectrum, which means that it doesn’t just protect against one type of the sun’s rays, but instead protects against both UV-A and UV-B rays.

• Reapply sun block after swimming, toweling off or excessively sweating.

• Don’t forget to protect your lips. Many lip balms now come with sunscreen in them. Choose one in a scent you like which will make reapplying often more enjoyable.

How can you minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles?

• There are several ways to minimize the look of fine lines and wrinkles. Although injections are an option, many people prefer using a peptide cream both for its convenience and its exceptional results. Here is a website you can visit for more information on this type of cream and its benefits: http://eliteserumrx.com/anti-wrinkle-formula/argireline/ .

Now that you know how simple it can be to take good care of your skin and to prevent it from being damaged in the sun, you will be able to implement these ideas into your daily skin care regimen, which will give your skin a more youthful and glowing appearance that you’ll love.