How to Protect Your Skin while Gardening

With summer only a month away, now is a good time to start preparing your garden if you haven't already. Be mindful that time spent gardening means you may be outdoors for a lengthy period and so precautions should be taken to ensure your skin is protected from the sun and unexpected skin irritants. Read on to see our top five picks for garden wear that will protect you from head to toe.

Wear sunscreen. Be sure to use a broad spectrum sunscreen that protects you from both UVA and UVB radiation from the sun. Our Dormer® 211 SPF30 Daily Protective Skin Moisturizer does just that while helping to reduce environmental skin damage that causes premature ageing and wrinkles.

Wear clothing that covers your arms and legs. Not only do you want to use sunscreen to protect you from the sun but you also want to cover up with enough clothing to protect your skin from parts of a plant or bugs that may injure your skin or cause an allergic skin reaction. Make sure your sleeves cover your wrists and your pants cover your ankles. Garden boots are also ideal compared to low cut shoes.

Wear insect repellent. Gardens are host to various insects and plants and insect bites or touching plants can cause minor to major skin reactions as mentioned above. Ticks, in particular, can jeopardize your health. Perform a thorough skin examination when you finish gardening to make sure no ticks are attached to your skin. Ticks that stay on the skin for more than 24 hours can lead to Lyme disease, a serious bacterial infection that can cause neurologic symptoms. You’ll also want to get a repellent that is separate from your sunscreen. It is recommended that you apply sunscreen every two hours but you’re not required to apply repellent as often.

Wear a hat. A wide-brimmed hat will be big enough to cover your head, face, ears and neck from the sun rather than a smaller hat like a visor or baseball cap.

Wear gloves. While your hands are at work weeding, digging and pruning, gloves can help to prevent many injuries caused by gardening. Pest control products, plant foods and fertilizers can cause rashes or burns and in some cases, life-threatening injuries. Read and follow all precautions on the labels of these products and wear gloves to prevent harmful occurrences.

The sun’s rays are at its most intense between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. Stay in the shade when you can to reduce your exposure and remember to drink water to keep yourself hydrated. Happy gardening!