As the summer rolls around and the sun begins to shine brighter, here are some helpful tips for keeping your skin safe.

Use a sunscreen lotion that has an SPF of 15 or higher to prevent painful sunburns and skin cancer. Putting sunscreen on your face, ears, neck, arms, back, and shoulders are the most imperative places on your body that must be protected from the sun. Apply the sunscreen about 15-30 minutes before working, playing, or basking out in the sun. If you are going to spend your time outside for most of the day, you will want to apply sunscreen in the morning, then continue re-applying every two hours after that.

Also, reapply sunscreen after you swim, towel off, or when you sweat. When you are swimming, your legs will not be as affected as the other parts of your body, because they are in the water most of the time, but it is still appropriate to use sunscreen on your legs; you could use the SPF 15 spray sunscreen for your legs and arms.

Skin is not the only thing that can be hurt by the sun; eyes can get sunburned too. The damage could get as bad as losing sight in the eyes, which is why it is extremely critical to always wear protective sunglasses whenever you are outside in the sun.

Cancer is a scary thing, but the risk for skin cancer can be reduced by being sun smart. According to Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), they recommend these easy options for protection from UV radiation: Stay in the shade, especially during midday hours, and wear clothing that covers your arms and legs. Wear a hat with a wide brim to shade your face, head, ears, and neck. Make sure you wear sunglasses that wrap around and block both Ultraviolet A (UVA) and Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays. Avoid indoor tanning, and get vitamin D from natural sunlight.

Follow these recommendations to help protect yourself and your family.The sun’s ultraviolet (UV) rays can damage your skin with only 15 minutes of exposure. The hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m are the weakest to UV exposure outdoors in America. UV rays from sunlight are the greatest during the late spring and early summer in North America.