Summer Tips From Bee Stings to Sunscreen to Dehydration

Warm weather brings us out of winter hibernation and demands a new set of rules be followed to ensure we aren't burned, bitten or dehydrated.

How many times have you spent too much time outside in the spring sunshine (because it felt soooo good) and found your skin red from the experience? It is important to remember that it is not the heat that burns you. It is the suns rays. Get an SPF 15 sunscreen or moisturizer with SPF 15 sunscreen and use it (male or female)…and don't forget the kids. Many manufacturers of sunscreen products now offer them in an assortment of forms from oils to creams to sprays. If you are into sports, be sure to use one that has staying power and will last through your physical exertion. Wear a hat when you are outside for an extended period of time and don't forget the shades.

If you are worried about your pale legs hanging out from your shorts, try a product such as AVEENO CONTINUOUS RADIANCE™ MOISTURIZING LOTION that evens out skin tone and gradually deepens skin color.

Bugs love warm weather, especially those sneaky after dark vampires we call mosquitoes. If you are into non-chemical solutions, try the CHEMICAL-FREE MOSQUITO SHIELD from the Discovery Channel or GR FREQUENCIES MOSQUITO CONTROL, which gives off a sound similar to a dragonfly-the mosquito's natural enemy. If you use an applied insect repellant, especially for children, make it deet free. Try something like the product sold by the HONEY GUY or the MOZZIE PATCH. There are still individuals who swear by AVON'S SKIN SO SOFTä to repel pests. If the little suckers get past your defenses, BENADRYL makes a topical analgesic about the size of a pen that you can keep in your pocket or purse to stop the itch.

The term "busy as a bee," was coined from the frenzied activities of bees, buzzing about the business of making honey and continuing the species. Don't swat at bees and wasps. They are rarely interested in you as anything more than in their way. If you agitate them, they are more likely to sting you than if you simply ignore them. If you do get stung, two old fashioned remedies for taking the pain out of stings are fresh mud or a baking soda and water paste. (Bee stings, wasp stings and fire ant stings all contain different types of venom and the intensity of the experience is different with different species.)

If you are out in the heat and start to get a headache, dehydration may be the culprit. On a recent trip to Santa Fe, I was routinely cautioned by locals to ensure I drank plenty of water. You don't have to be sweating to lose moisture from your body. Warm air and a good breeze can dry you out quickly. Children are particularly prone to dehydration because they get busy playing and forget. Give them a water bottle when they go out and remind them periodically to take a drink.

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