It seems we, Canadian travellers easily forget every year how easy it is to get sunburnt when we only experience summer for three months of the year. When we head to the Dominican Republic the sun rays are much stronger than at home and the chance of getting sunburnt is much higher in the constant heat. To help avoid looking like a lobster, these 10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn will provide reminders of things to keep in mind to ensure an enjoyable trip.
Table of Contents
1. Apply Sunscreen Often
It should be a given to apply sunscreen often but when relaxing on a beach or swimming in the water, time can slip away. It’s easy to forget how long it’s been without reapplying sunscreen. While in Canada, typically an individual can apply sunscreen that will last for a couple of hours. In the Dominican Republic, if a Canadian traveller is in the sun for more than one hour, a good rule of thumb is to re-apply sunscreen every hour for the first of 10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn.
Sunscreen Types
It’s important to note that some sunscreens aren’t suitable for water activities. This means, that when going into the water to swim, the sunscreen that you applied might not work to protect the skin against sunburn in the water. Read the sunscreen labels carefully to ensure you get the protection required for your desired activities!
Tip: We found ourselves in this situation. Wanting to bring everything in our carry-on bags, we selected a different sunscreen brand than we usually do to comply with the 100 mL or less liquid rule to carry it on with us onboard our flight. Sadly, we didn’t notice that it wasn’t water-resistant. A sunscreen like the picture above, with Island Sport, typically means that it will be water-resistant for eighty minutes and after that time, you’ll need to re-apply to get protection from your sunscreen. Not bringing water-resistant sunscreen, we ended up roasting like lobsters the first hour of our trip! It made for a rough first few days trying to get it under control while avoiding the sun so that we could enjoy the rest of our trip.
2. 10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn: Shade
It’s important to seek shade whenever possible, whether it’s under a palm tree, straw huts, Bali beds or taking a break by going to eat at a restaurant. It still feels warm in the shade but your skin will thank you for getting a breather from the heat. We took advantage of the shade while trying to recover from looking like lobsters when we first arrived in the Dominican Republic. It allowed us to enjoy the hot weather and go swimming when we needed a break from the heat, but also to allow our skin to heal and take a break from the sun. Many travellers spend the day here reading and relaxing between swims in the pool. The pool water is cool enough to be refreshing and feels gentle on the burns. Servers provide drinks (when compensated with a tip) while you relax on the Bali beds.
3. Sun Hat to Cover Your Shoulders
On previous trips, I’ve brought a baseball cap knowing it would protect my eyes and forehead from the sun. My ponytail fits nicely into the cap while doing outdoor activities but otherwise it’s not practical to protect any other part of my body. At a market, thirty minutes to an hour down the right side of the beach from Majestic Resorts in the Dominican Republic, I found myself a nice wide sun hat to wear. With the direct sunlight on you, it’s important to have a sun hat that covers a good portion of your neck, shoulders, and face. Anything that can be done to avoid getting a sunburn is advisable! Some hats even provide side flaps to cover more of your neck, depending on your preference.
4. Shawl to Cover your Shoulders and Back
10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn: Bought a Shawl
After getting sunburnt on my arms and shoulders, my tank top wasn’t going to be enough to protect my body from the sun. We didn’t want to avoid going outside for a portion of our trip, especially since we had just arrived, so I purchased a shawl (at a nearby market within the resort) to cover up my burnt body parts. A lightweight sun shirt to wear would also work. The markets offer many different styles of shirts depending on what you want. It could be expensive to purchase though, so keep that in mind. It might make more sense to purchase one from your home country if you don’t have a shirt for sun protection and bring it with you.
Lycra Sun Shirt
Wearing a Lycra sun shirt to prevent your body from getting sunburnt is another option. It will be a heavier material though but will stay slightly wet and cool your body off when you’re out of the water for a short period of time. If you’re going to and coming from the water, this is a good option but it might feel uncomfortable and hot when wearing it at the resort, away from the water and the wind blowing on the beach.
5. 10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn: Drink Lots of Water
10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn: The Importance of Drinking Water
Drinking water will keep you hydrated and feeling at your best for the fifth of 10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn. I find it a pain to be constantly heading to the bathroom to pee but a good reminder is that if you’re peeing frequently, it means you’re hydrated and less likely to feel nauseous. Without ample water consumption, your body is more prone to heat exhaustion causing diarrhea (something you don’t want on your vacation). Staying hydrated is key.
Locations to Drink Water
If you’re wondering how you’ll be able to continuously keep drinking water throughout your day, here are some places to drink water.
- First of all, bottles of water are replenished daily in your room. Take those bottles with you down to the beach or the pool.
- Secondly, servers can be found around the resort. They will bring you water if you provide them with a tip. It’s also possible to grab bottles of water at bars throughout the resort.
- Safe water is provided in glasses for breakfast, lunch, and supper at various restaurants throughout the resort. They will continuously fill up your water unless you ask them to stop.
- They have snack bars throughout the resort as well where you can grab bottles of water. Wherever you go on the resort, there will always be a supply of bottled water.
Tip: It’s important as Canadians to only drink from water bottles instead of the tap, otherwise there’s a good chance you get sick.
6. 10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn: Wear Sunglasses
Sunglasses are essential for protecting your eyes from the strong sunlight rays, especially when the sun rays reflect off the water while swimming or doing activities such as kayaking. If you forget your sunglasses, they can be purchased at the resort. A sun hat will also help protect your head but protecting your eyes is very important to avoid causing damage to them. It can be blinding to walk on the beach on a sunny day, without sunglasses.
7. Avoid Getting Sunburnt Walking on the Resort
If you live in Canada like Kris and I, chances are you are likely to get sunburnt quickly. This picture was taken after not putting on the correct sunscreen the first day when going swimming in the Dominican Republic. We didn’t put on water resistant sunscreen, which is essential for these hot tropical places. Kris and I also stayed in the sun too long afterwards while drying off.
We also thought that a walk on the resort grounds without sunscreen for thirty minutes would be ok as it would be a quick walk. But, it doesn’t take much for our skin to turn pink and then quickly turn to a bright red colour.
Tip: It’s important to remember that if at any time you’re outside with direct sunlight at any tropical location, put on sunscreen!!! If you’re going into the water, water resistant sunscreen is a must, as tip number seven of 10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn!
8. SPF 50 to 30
When showing up to a tropical location with fair skin, using SPF 50 for the first couple of days might be a good option to protect your skin. As your skin gets accustomed to the weather and the heat, then you can switch to SPF 30. It could help prevent your skin from getting burnt that way. The orange Banana boat ultra sport bottle is water-resistant and perfect for the water. If you want to continue being in the water, you’ll also need a water-resistant SPF 30 product, different from the beige bottle above. The beige bottle is SPF 30 but not water-resistant. The picture showcases different types of sunscreen. The orange bottle is excellent for activities in the water while the other beige bottle is excellent for being in the sun but out of the water.
Tip: Be careful to make the right purchase when shopping for your sunscreen. Waterproof sunscreen is no longer written on bottles, they are only water resistant as over time, the sunscreen will wear off in the water.
9. Continue to Drink Water, in Case You Forgot
Water? Do we have to drink water? Yes, and lots of it (in case you forgot)! I often forgot in the past. That’s why I’m reminding you. I thought after drinking three bottles of water, that was a lot for me, I was being responsible and I could stop. But the reality is that you should keep drinking bottled water to avoid dehydration. If you’re hydrated you’ll be feeling well and that means keep drinking water to continue the hydration process throughout the day. Balance your alcoholic beverages with water while at the beach. Stop drinking water when you head to bed.
If you don’t want to drink tons of water, then stay in the shade and avoid the sun. That is also an option. When in the tropics, we Canadians can’t wait to bask in the sun and in return we sometimes forget to take precautions and end up looking like lobsters. There has to be a balance.
10. Apply Aloe Vera
Applying aloe vera to parts of your skin that are starting to appear red at night before heading to bed can help reduce the redness moving forward as the last of 10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn. It’s not a fun part of the experience or sexy by any means; it’s more like a sticky mess but it will help reduce the redness and it will moisturize your skin. Allow ten minutes for the aloe vera to sink into your skin; otherwise, be prepared for your skin to stick to the sheets and for you to stay in that same spot all night. Doing this application of aloe vera will increase your enjoyment throughout your trip and decrease your chances of being in pain and looking like a lobster when it’s time to head home.
Keep these 10 Tips to Avoid Sunburn as reminders when going on a trip nearby or abroad to a hot tropical destination. Some tips can be applied when hiking in the hot sun. Bring lots of water and sunscreen with you. Light layers to protect your arms, back and neck are good options as well. Never spend too much time in the sun. If you’re feeling off, maybe nauseous, take a break, head to the shade and replenish your body with water. If there’s a creek nearby while hiking, dunk your baseball cap into the water and pour it on your head. It will feel refreshing! If you’re feeling brave, submerge your body into the creek (with your clothes on); that will cool you off quickly! You’ll dry off quickly when you start hiking or backpacking again.
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