Health Gem

If you do one thing this week.... put on suncream

THIS SUMMER Ireland hasn’t exactly been inundated with long stretches of sunny days. But we still need to protect ourselves from ultra-violet rays, according to the Irish Cancer Society.

“You cannot see or feel UV rays,” the society says.

“Even on cool, cloudy days the level of UV radiation can be high enough to damage your skin cells. This damage can lead to skin cancer.”

You can check the UV index for areas in Ireland at cancer.ie/sunsmartand the society advises protecting your skin and eyes by covering up, wearing wraparound UV-protective sunglasses, staying indoors when UVA rays are strongest (11am-3pm) and using sunscreen with a SPF of 15 or above and UVA protection.

But what about vitamin D? To meet your needs they recommend getting 5 to 15 minutes of casual sun exposure to hands, face and arms two to three times a week during the summer months.