'Rain rain go away...'
Let’s be serious…there aren’t many advantages of being on maternity leave and managing 2 children under 2 apart from being able to book a last minute holiday away in the sun.
CD wanted to treat me to a luxurious holiday for my birthday so here we are in the beautiful Bodrum in Turkey having spent a day in Istanbul. We are staying in the Caresse hotel and while I immerse myself in the sea, I think of the beautiful weather.
I watch Alyvia playing on the beach attempting to make a sandcastle and draw with her spade in the sand. Sophia is watching her sister and kicking her legs in excitement when she sees her. It is a mere 28° here and I can’t help but think of the girls and if they are adequately protected from this refreshing yet potentially dangerous heat.
We are at an increased risk of skin cancer due to ultraviolet (UV) radiation reaching the earth from the sun. In particular, UVA and UVB are associated with skin cancer.
When the UV rays penetrate the skin, the DNA is altered and damaged leading to mutations. This in turn causes cells to become cancerous. UV radiation is the main cause of non-melanoma skin cancer including Basal Cell Carcinoma (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).
In adults, it is the main process leading to signs of ageing such as wrinkles.
UVA rays penetrate further than UVB and are present with equal intensity throughout all daylight hours and can penetrate through clouds and glass. UVB causes the most damage to the skin but cannot penetrate through glass. The most amount of UVB is present between 11am and 3pm in the daytime. I would advise the following:-
Do not take babies (below 6 months) out during these times at all but if you do, ensure they are wearing a wide-brimmed hat and are kept in the shade.
For babies over 6 months, be sure to apply plenty of sunscreen with SPF50 (this will protect against 98% of UVB rays) and keep topping this up every 2 hours or directly after getting out of the water.
A good swimsuit with UV protection is ideal. The one you see in the picture is from John Lewis.
Protecting our children is vital but who says they can’t enjoy the sun like we do? After all, we don’t get many opportunities to top up on our Vitamin D levels.
Have a lovely day folks! I am off for my Salt scrub followed by a Balinese massage.
MCD
xxx
Some pictures for you to enjoy:-
