Your Guide to Keeping Sun Safe in The Hot Australian Sun

Who doesn't love Australia? The beaches! The surf! The lifestyle! Plus, there's one thing we have plenty of... sun! With the sun comes lots of fun, but also extra responsibility to protect your skin from sunburn, sun damage, and skin cancer. So, to help you enjoy the wonderful land down under, we've put together this helpful guide on how to keep safe in the Australian sun.

Seek shade

The most important thing you can do to protect yourself is to stay out of the sun during the hottest times of the day. Aim to keep out of direct sunlight and seek shade between the hours of 10am to 4pm, when UV radiation is at its highest. Shade during these hours will be your BFF! Lucky for students at Campus Living Villages, there are plenty of outdoor spots around our Villages where you can seek shade and keep out of the heat.

Use SPF30+ broad-spectrum sunscreen

Wear sunscreen. Use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF30 or above every day, even if it's cloudy and overcast outside. Apply this half an hour before going outside and then again every two hours while you're out and about. The SPF number indicates how much protection your sunscreen will provide against UVB rays (the UV that causes burning). The higher this number is, the better protection your sunscreen will offer.

Wear protective clothing.

Cover up. Wear a T-shirt, long sleeve linen shirt or pants if you're going to be in the sun for more than an hour. The less skin that's exposed, the better. A wide brimmed hat will work perfectly! And don't forget your hands and feet — they can burn too!

Check the UV Alert in your weather forecast.

Did you know that you can check the UV alert in your weather forecast app? Give it a try! The UV Alert in your weather forecast app can help you decide when you really need to protect yourself from the sun.

The UV Alert is a rating of the ultraviolet (UV) radiation level on a scale from 1 to 10+. A rating of 3 or above means a high risk of harm from UV radiation, especially for children and people with fair skin. The higher the rating, the greater the risk of harm from UV radiation.

So, there you have it, there is your guide to keeping sun smart in the hot Australian sun! We know our students from Sydney University Village, Murdoch University Village and Griffith University Village will be sure to appreciate these tips. Keep sun safe out there everybody!