Top Tips When Traveling In Sunny Climates

There are lots of places to visit on planet earth, but most of us want to go somewhere sunny. You dream of spending days or weeks abroad, traversing around the sunniest climates in the world. It's an amazing idea, particularly if you live in a country that doesn't get much sun. The idea of a hot holiday is definitely one you will jump on without holding back. 

However, there are right and wrong ways to travel when it's sunny. This can sound like quite a boring thing to say, as many of you want to just enjoy the heat and the sun. That's fine, but you need to know how to do this without putting yourself at risk. So, here are some top tips when travelling in sunny climates:

Always bring SPF sun cream

Always, always, always remember to bring sun cream on your trips. Not just any sun cream, be sure it has an SPF rating as this will protect you from the sun. Ideally, it should also have UVA and UVB protection to further decrease any damage to your skin. Failure to wear sun scream will lead to burnt skin, but it can also cause permanent damage and speed up the signs of ageing. So, it may seem cool to walk around like a bronzed God for a few months, but you soon wish you took precautions when you're 25 with deep wrinkles!

Naturally, the level of SPF protection varies from product to product. Realistically, the higher the better. However, the more sun cream you wear, the less likely you are to tan. Still, a good rule to follow is that you need at least SPF 30 on your face and the more sensitive parts of your body. Then, depending on your skin's tolerance to the sun, you can have anything between 15 and 30 on the rest of your body. Of course, the darker your skin is, the less prone to sun damage you will be.

 

Apply your sun cream at the right times

Knowing when to apply your sun cream is just as important as putting it on. The best practice is to apply it around 20-30 minutes before you go outside. This lets the cream set into your skin, so it stays for longer and protects you. A bad idea is to apply it when you're out as you can just sweat it off before it settles. 

Having said that, you will have to re-apply your sun cream throughout the day. It won't last forever, so get in the habit of applying more at regular intervals. This is especially important if you're out in the sun for many hours at a time. Sometimes, you can tell when you need more cream on specific parts of your body. You may feel your neck getting warmer, so you apply more there to prevent burning, etc. 

Wear a hat to protect your hair

The first two tips will protect your skin and prevent sunburn, but there are other parts of your body to protect as well! Most notably, spending too much time in the sun will damage your hair. Some of you can probably understand this, having already dealt with it. When you're sunbathing or walking around a sunny place for hours, your hair gets super hot. After all, the sun is literally beating down on it all day long. 

Consequently, it starts to become damaged. The typical reaction is for your hair to get very hot and dry. In the end, it feels like you've got straw on your head, rather than your luscious locks! For want of a better phrase, the sun is basically cooking your hair. Not only that, but you can genuinely burn your scalp - especially if you're bald, have a very short haircut, or your hair is thin. 

Therefore, you need something to protect your hair, and a hat is the best place to start. You can find all manner of sun hats online for you to purchase. Some are the big variety, which has become very stylish over the last few years. Or, you can get a simple cap to wear on your head - either way, it offers a protective barrier to prevent the sun from beating down on your head for hours on end. 

Wear sunglasses in the sun

Sunglasses are much more than a fashion accessory. True, they look extremely stylish and you can find a really hot look in them. Nevertheless, they serve a vital purpose - to protect your eyes from the damaging sun's rays. Yes, your eyes will be heavily hurt by the sun, particularly if you keep looking up at it. You may wonder why you'd do this, but consider what happens when you sunbath. You basically spend hours with your face looking directly at the sun! Even if your eyes are closed, it's not good for them to be exposed like this. 

So, sunglasses will offer ample protection by shielding your eyes with protective lenses. Make sure the lenses actually offer UV protection, by the way. Some cheap sunglasses just have plastic lenses with no protection at all - these are more fashion accessories than proper sunglasses. Don't worry, it will be advertised if the glasses offer the correct protection when you buy them. 

To be honest, you should wear sunglasses whenever you're out and about in the sun. You never know when you might accidentally stare up at the sun, so this stops your eyes from suffering permanent damage. Ultimately, too much exposure to the sun will cause vision loss, meaning you need a different pair of glasses all the time!

Spend time in the shade

The temptation is to spend as much time in the sun as you possibly can. In many ways, you almost get addicted to it. Especially if you're not used to being in the sun - you want to take advantage of it. So, you spend 90% of your day basking in the heat and lapping up as much of the rays as you possibly can. As you can probably imagine, this isn't going to be good for you at all.

You may love being in the sun, but your body won't! As mentioned above, it can cause problems for your skin, hair and eyes. Not to mention the fact it will make you sweat loads, potentially leading to dehydration. Thus, you should make a strong effort to avoid being in the sun for long periods at a time. This is particularly true if you're on a road trip or choosing to sunbathe on a beach all day. You can literally spend over 12 hours in the sun if you're not careful. 

The solution is simple: find some shade every now and then. Maybe spend an hour in the sun, then hide in the shade for a short time. Try to find shade and shelter wherever you are - this might be in a coffee shop, under a tree by the side of a road, or simply under an umbrella on the beach. It will give you a chance to relax and cool off, stopping you from overheating!

Always have water by your side

Finally, make sure you bring water with you all the time, no matter where you are. You'll lose lots of fluids when it's hot, particularly if you're walking around a lot. Water is needed to replace these lost fluids and prevent dehydration. 

There you have it: follow these tips to stay safe when travelling in sunny places. They should help you enjoy the sun without putting yourself at risk!