On Vacation

Don’t come home with a sunburn

here to help

Sun Smart on Vacation

Intense intermittent sun exposure (like the kind you get after being cooped up inside for the winter and then get a burst of sun on vacation) is a risk factor for melanoma, the most deadly form of skin cancer.

Be sun smart on vacation with these travel tips:

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Pack sun smart essentials in your beach bag: sunglasses, sunscreen, and a big floppy hat!

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Wear broad spectrum, water resistant sunscreen, at least SPF 30. And don’t forget to reapply, especially after swimming or toweling off.

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Find a shady spot to lounge on the beach.

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Don’t forget that the sand and water reflect UVR. Use a variety of sun protection methods to stay safe.

Sun Smart Tools

Skip the base tan

Thinking about using a tanning bed before your vacation to get a base tan? Don’t bother. Base tans don’t prevent sunburn.

Base tans do not protect your skin from future sun exposure. A base tan only provides the equivalent of SPF 2-3.  We recommend at least SPF 30 for skin protection.

Tanning before vacation simply exposes your skin to more harmful UVR.

A tan is a sign of skin damage.

You may think that as long as you don’t burn at the tanning salon, your skin is safe. But a tan, whether you get it on the beach or in a tanning bed, is a sign of skin damage. A base tan is simply adding UVR exposure and skin damage before even going outside in the sun.

View sources

Le Clair, Marie Z, and Myles G Cockburn. “Tanning bed use and melanoma: Establishing risk and improving prevention interventions.” Preventive medicine reports vol. 3 139-44. 14 Jan. 2016, doi:10.1016/j.pmedr.2015.11.016