As the warm weather approaches, the days become longer and sunnier. Coats, scarves, gloves and beanies are put away in the closet to make room for spring and then summer clothing. After the long, dark, cold winter months, the sky turns blue and the sun begins to shine more and more hours throughout the day.

But as you well know, you absolutely must be careful with the first sunburns!

Before exposing ourselves to the sun, it is indicated to prepare our skin, to make sure that it is able to independently defend itself from the side effects of the sun’s rays. We recommend three basic rules for proper sun exposure: prepare your skin at least two weeks in advance, protect it while under UV rays , and finally moisturize it properly after the sun.

Nutrition is also very important, taking particular foods can be of great help in the defense of our skin. It is predominantly fresh plant foods that have the characteristics for the best absorption of antioxidants that act positively on our skin cells. Find out what they are.

There are definite rules on how to deal with the first sunny days. The Ministry of Health urges avoiding excessive exposures, especially during the 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. time slot. Especially at these times it would be best to shelter from the sun under the shade of trees, umbrellas, canopies and wear protective clothing such as hats, T-shirts and sunglasses. It is highly recommended that you slather on sunscreen creams with protective factors appropriate to your phototype, applying them several times a day and also after swimming. The recommended dose is 2 mg per cm2 of skin. Remember that even if, the sky is cloudy the passage of radiation still reaches our skin, especially even in the mountains, where the sun is closer so the radiation increases.

But be careful what you slather on!
Not all sunscreen formulations are vegan and it is not always so easy to recognize whether a cream might be suitable for the vegan lifestyle! There are cosmetic ingredients that may be dubiously derived or directly of animal origin. Here is a small guide on how to avoid them.