“Summer afternoon—summer afternoon; to me those have always been the two most beautiful words in the English language.” ~ Henry James

Summer and Beautiful.  Two words simply meant to be together in a quote from a book of love and and nostalgia. 

But higher UV levels from the summer sun can wreak havoc on your beautiful exposed skin.  Those rays may feel sensational, the effects of sun exposure over time can take their toll on beauty and your health.  According to the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), one in five Americans will develop some form of skin cancer during their lifetime.

There are two critical elements to add to your summer wardrobe; sunscreen and sunglasses.

It's very important to find a sunscreen that you like because you'll use it more. It should be water resistant, have an SPF of 15 or higher and have broad spectrum protection. 

For broad-spectrum protection, look for sunscreens containing benzophenones (oxybenzone), cinnamates (octylmethyl cinnamate and cinoxate), sulisobenzone, salicylates, titanium oxide, zinc oxide, and avobenzone (Parsol 1789). UVA rays can prematurely age your skin, causing wrinkling and age spots. UVB rays can burn your skin. Too much exposure to UVA or UVB rays can cause skin cancer. The best sunscreen offers protection from all UV light.

And yes...your eyes can sunburn too! Prolonged UV exposure can redden the whites of eyes and over time can cause eye problems. To prevent eye damage, look for sunglasses with UV 400 protection. It blocks up to 400 nanometers of UV light. 

Nothing beats a little sunshine to brighten up your mood and get a healthy dose of vitamin D.  Just be careful not to spend too much time unprotected from harmful UV rays.