Putting on sunscreen is important this time of year. Why?

(WHSV) - While it may still be spring and temperatures haven’t fully turned consistently warm, sunscreen is still very important this time of year.

When temperatures reach those warmer levels, we tend to think that correlates to the Sun’s strength. This is not true, it has nothing to do with how warm it is outside. It’s all about what time of year it is, and how close it is to the summer solstice which is June 20th.

While we do dress in warmer clothes when temperatures are cooler, your face is still exposed the same amount in May versus most of July! Spring also is a time when our skin is more used to being exposed to far less sunlight, making it even more prone to the sun’s rays.

The closer it is to the summer solstice, the stronger the Sun is. Since the summer solstice is towards the beginning of summer, the beginning of May is as close to that date as late July and early August. This means the Sun is much stronger now at the beginning of May than Labor Day! Even in April, the Sun is as strong as in late August and early September.

The opposite is true for the fall. The month of October has about the same strength of sunlight as February.

The length of time that a day is can give you an indication of the strength of the sun. As a reminder, it is wise to use sunscreen if you plan on doing outdoor activities when the sun is strongest (10 am - 4 pm).