Keep your skin healthy.

As we all know, keeping our skin protected from sun exposure is an ongoing process.

Years ago, we didn't realize that the sun is a contributing factor to skin cancer. Many people would put tanning oils on to get that deep, dark tan everyone craved.

It didn't matter to kids that tanning could result in wrinkles or worse when they got older. What was important was how they looked as teenagers and young adults.

Years ago, there weren't products with sunblock and for the most part people didn't know the perils of the sun and how it affects the skin.

We now know the sun does damage the skin with repeated exposure and blistering sunburns. There are many new products on the market to protect the skin from the sun.

Start skin protection early and often. Babies and children are the most vulnerable to the sun damaging rays.

What's the best thing?

Lather them up often with sunblock. Especially when they're in and near the water.

Wear clothing with sun protection manufactured in them.

Stay indoors from 10am to 4pm when the sun is at its hottest.

Staying indoors is not ideal - especially for kids. They need to be outside to run and play. This is when you need to put sunblock, hats, sunglasses and protective clothing on them. With sunblock, teenagers can still get the "healthy tan" they want without the damaging rays.

Protective Clothing

The ideal solution is to cover up in the sun. Long sleeves, long pants, a hat with a full brim and sunglasses. Who wants to dress for winter when its hot and humid? Even though its the best solution its not practical.

For babies under six months, its the only thing you can do. Their skin is so delicate that the chemicals from sunblock will affect them, so its best to keep them out of the sun completely.

Dark clothing protects better than light clothing. But that gets hot too! I found that kids can swim in the water with the dark shirt on and it keeps them cool out of the water because its wet.

Now there is swimwear that is like a shirt. It protects the neck and body. You can find it in short sleeves, long sleeves, full suits for toddlers (from neck to ankle) and its comfortable to swim in.

Sunscreen

Everyone from six months on up needs to wear sunscreen. Read the label and make sure it provides both UVA and UVB protection. The SPF (sun protection factor) needs to be 15 or higher. An SPF of 15 is just fine. Anything higher doesn't really add more protection.

Sunscreen should be applied daily at least 20 minutes before going outdoors and reapplied every two hours or more often when in the water.

Shade

Many people think staying in the shade will protect them from the sun. But that's not so. Sun reflects off the sand and can still give you a burn. Even if you're in the shade, apply the sunscreen.

These tips can be used for anyone traveling to any destination. Many of them can be used when you travel to the lakes region in New Hampshire.