Protecting Yourself from Top to Toe 7 simple steps for staying sun damage-free all year long. BY COLLEEN MORIARTY
we all know the damage too much sun can cause to our skin: wrinkles, age spots, and even cancer. And if you’re on pain medications or antide- pressants that increase sun-sensitivity, you know the importance of protecting yourself from harmful rays. But the sunshine has one benefit
that’s been in the news: sunlight helps the body produce vitamin D, which “maintains bone density in adults, may inhibit certain cancers such as non- Hodgkin’s lymphoma and possibly lessens the risk of diseases such as
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multiple sclerosis,” says Kathy Fields, M.D., a dermatologist in San Fran- cisco. Findings in the American Family Physician have linked back pain, mus- cle aches and throbbing bone pain to a lack of the sun-loving vitamin. How- ever, the safest way to keep your vita- min D levels up isn’t basting on the beach, warns Fields. Instead, eat foods like sockeye salmon and fortified or- ange juice or take a daily supplement containing 1,000 IU of vitamin D. To maintain a healthy, glowing body from head to toe all year long, follow
this 7 step sun-protection plan that will shade you from harmful rays.
Hair. Just like your skin, you gotta look after your hair. SPF-infused products help cover the scalp and hair from the sun’s harmful rays. Another perk: They prevent fading, whether your hair color is natural or from a bottle. Try: 1 Aveda Sun Care Protective Hair
Veil ($26; aveda.com), a mist with wintergreen and cinnamon bark oils that protects against the sun’s rays, and 2 Philip Kingsley Swimcap ($35;
PHOTOGRAPHY BY LISA ROMEREIN; STYLING BY ROBIN TURK