UV-888, Personal UV Monitor that Can Save You from Painful Skin Damage This Summer

We all remember being kids and running out onto the beach, stripping clothes off right and left in a hurry to get in the water, only to be stopped by our moms grabbing us and smearing stinky, milky white sunscreen all over our little bodies. What do we do now that we are older and Mom, our personal UV Monitor, is no longer around to go with us out in the sun? Well, a neat digital gadget called UV-888 can help you stay safe in the sun by being your own personal UV Monitor.

The UV-888, created by Oregon Scientific, is a small sun monitor that doubles as a watch and thermometer. It has a unique sensor that measures the intensity of the sun's rays all day long. This UV Monitor precisely measures the Ultraviolet rays on both sunny days, cloudy days, and while you're in the water as well!

So, exactly how does the UV Monitor work? Its black and gray digital screen continuously reads the sunrays and displays the corresponding UV index number for you to see. In addition, you input your skin type and the SPF you are currently wearing into the gadget, and it becomes a countdown timer to let you know when you have had enough sun. It can also give you a recommended SPF to use.

The UV-888 cannot do one thing; it cannot tell when you have been swimming, sweating, or toweling. In other words, this gadget can't sense when you have rubbed or sweated off your sunscreen. This is when your common sense and sunscreen knowledge must prevail. Chris Demoura published a wonderful article aboutways to prevent sun damage in which he states, "If you swim or sweat, opt for waterproof formulas, their polymers create an invisible film that helps ingredients stay put. No product is resistant to toweling off, so reapply after a dip or swear session." If you have the UV-888 and decide to swim, for example, choose to use a waterproof sunscreen and reapply at the slightest sense of it being rubbed off your skin. Don't take any chances.

The UV-888 comes with a one-year warranty, and a cord and clip, so you can wear it around your neck, on your wrist, or attached to your beach bag. It is also powered by battery, which can be removed and replaced by a same-size battery found at your local retail store.

The intensity of the sun's UV rays change dramatically during the day. In the mornings and late afternoons the index is below 3. However, after 10am, it shoots up and peaks around 8 and 10. Even in the water or on a cloudy day, a UV index of 8 and 10 can burn you quickly.

With the UV-888, you can keep track of the UV index, choose the right SPF, and have a timer let you know when you've had enough sun exposure. This UV Monitor, measuring only 1.75 x 3.125 x 0.75 inches (Width x Height x Diameter), can help save your skin from melanoma and premature aging.

Read about skin cancer. "One blistering sunburn during our lifetime may increase the odds of developing skin cancer by 50%," says VC Higuera in an article about Skin Cancer. That should be enough scary information to make you run out and buy this UV 888 Monitor today.

For a limited time at Amazon Online, you can get the stylish, blue UV Monitor for half-price ($15). Reviewers there gave the UV-888 4 out of 5 stars! It is available for $35 at other online retailers such as Digital Gift Store, Safety-Devices, and Ambient Weather to name just three. Google it today and add it to your must-have outdoor gear.

If you are one of these know-everything types of sun worshipers, check out this Sun and Tanning Myth page. You may just see that no type of sun exposure OR skin type can keep you safe from the harmful, damaging rays of the sun. As this site states, even with olive and tan complexion skin, you are brown BECAUSE of sun radiation!

Be smart and educate yourself on the sun and its effects. Invest in this UV-888 and use it all year long, whether on the beach, hiking, or anytime you are outdoors.