Light you can't see
Sunlight is full of light you can see, and some you can't. One kind you can't see is called UV, short for ultraviolet (ul-truh-VY-uh-let).
UV light can soak into skin and hurt the cells inside. You can't see it or feel it while it's happening, which makes it sneaky.
UV can even get through clouds, so you can get a sunburn on a cloudy day.
Water, sand and snow bounce UV back up at you, so you get an extra dose at the beach or on a snowy hill.
Sunburn and every skin color
A sunburn is skin that got hurt by too much UV. It can turn red or darker, feel hot and sore, and peel a few days later as your body clears away the hurt cells.
Sunburn often shows up a few hours after you've been in the sun, so you might not notice it until later.
Every sunburn is a sign of damage. Lots of sunburns over many years can cause serious skin problems when people are older, so protecting your skin now is worth it.
Melanin, the coloring in skin, soaks up some UV, so darker skin has more natural protection. But no skin color has full protection. People with every shade of skin can get sunburned.
A tan is a sign that UV has already hurt the skin and it's trying to protect itself. There's no such thing as a healthy tan.
Your sun safety team
Sunscreen: pick one that says broad spectrum, water resistant and SPF 30 or higher. A grown-up can help you put it on about 15 minutes before you go outside.
Cover every spot the sun can reach, like your ears, the back of your neck and the tops of your feet. Put more on every 2 hours, and after swimming or sweating.
Hats and clothes: a wide-brimmed hat shades your face, ears and neck. Long sleeves and sun shirts block rays too.
Shade and sunglasses: play under trees, umbrellas or shelters when the sun is strongest, around the middle of the day. Sunglasses that block UV protect your eyes.
The shadow trick: look at your shadow. If it's shorter than you are, the sun's rays are strong right now, so find shade and cover up.
The good side of sunlight
Sunlight isn't all bad! When it touches your skin, your skin uses it to make vitamin D, which helps build strong bones.
Your body only needs a little sun for that, and you can also get vitamin D from foods like milk, eggs and fish.
You never need a sunburn to get vitamin D. Sunscreen and fun outside go together.