Hot, Hot, Hot

Tips for the Summer Heat at Antigua’s Resort

Summer is in full swing and so is the heat. To ensure you have an excellent Antigua vacation, here are a few tips for handling the heat and preventing sunburn:

• Seek shade instead of direct sunlight during the peak hours. generally from 10AM to 3PM. Protect yourself from high quantities of UV radiation, which can be harmful to the skin.
• Wear a broad-brimmed hat. This will help in cooling and provide immediate protection of head and shoulders to help prevent events such as fainting from the direct impact of the sun.
• Wear sun protective clothing. Light colored/white cool airy fabrics will reflect the sun-rays while also allowing the skin and body to cool.
• Drink lots of water. One side effect of sunburn is that the fluid in your body is drawn to the surface of your skin. To make sure you don’t get dehydrated, drink plenty of water.
• Apply sunscreen regularly. Carefully select sunscreen, use products that offer “a sun protection factor of 30 or higher and protection against UVA waves.” Some sun protection refers to protection against UVB waves only. It is important to read the label to ensure that the product provides protection against UVA waves as well.
• Wear sun(UV) protective eyeglasses to prevent cataracts and pterygiums which can both be accelerated due to exposure to the sun.

Remember the impacts of climate change with the increased air and sea temperatures when you’re holidaying in Antigua. Let’s protect ourselves and loved ones from heat exhaustion and skin cancer!

Article written by Ava Mason for our Green Leaf series, which incorporates articles on care of our environment and our bodies