Holiday, celebrate!

As an international buyer I pretty much lived out of a suitcase for certain months of the year, so I got used to packing light. I learnt to cut down to the practical and the vital and I did the same when I went on holiday.

As long as I have these five things and my toothbrush I know I can just kick back and relax.

1. A hat – a natural fabrication like straw, paper straw or cotton.

You can roll cotton and pack flat. With straw you need to stuff it with your underwear or soft items and lay flat on the bottom of your case, then pack around it.

2. A shawl or pashmina – handy for on the plane (the air con is usually quite fierce), cool evenings and definitely for the return journey, very rarely is it as hot as you have become accustomed to when you land home.

3. Sunscreen – vital for very obvious reasons, read my previous blog  Know your UVB’s from your UVA’s for the science and more in depth information on  this and other sun protection.

4. After sun – just in case you forget to attend to the above properly and end up a bit pink (please try not to do this), but also it is very important to keep your skin well moisturised as the sun dries it out .

5. Colloidal silver spray – The ultimate in anti bacterial spray. I always have one of these in stock, even at home for cuts, wounds, spots and bites. It was recommended to me when I was mosquito dinner once on a trip to Florence, it stops the itching, washes away infection and takes down the swelling. It gets to work straight away.

Please read Know your UVB’s from your UVB’s, and be safe.

Have a wonderful holiday.x

Know your UVB’s from your UVA’s.

A minefield of a conversation I know but I’m going to try and get it down to the basics so that I can be assured that you are safe.
Lets begin with the science bit :
UVA -Long wave rays that damage the skin more deeply and cause damage to the cells in the basal (bottom layer or base) of the epidermis, contributing to skin cancer.
It is the predominant tanning ray.
A tan is the result, over time, of injury to the skins DNA.

UVB – Short wave rays that are the chief cause of reddening and burning of the surface.
They damage the more superfical layers of the skin.
They play a key role in the development of skin cancer.

SUNSCREEN

Everyone should be wearing sunscreen daily, whether it appears to be sunny or not.
A moisturiser with added SPF factor is a good idea. You do not need a sunscreen of over SPF 30 as this will block up to 97% of UVB (this is the highest protection a ‘natural’ not chemically populated sunscreen can give), but whatever your SPF you still need to take care of those UVAs.
To combat those you must wear good sunglasses and a sunhat.

A SUNHAT, WHY????

Apart from the fact that I recommend a hat of some sort whatever and where ever!
A good sunhat will help to :
keep those UVAs at bay.
Added protection for your neck,ears and eyes.
Stops your hair from fading (if like me you have coloured hair) or drying out.
Alongside the sunglasses, stop you from squinting, so helps to prevent wrinkles!

When you are choosing your hat please consider that it is fit for purpose, the hat you wear lounging around the pool is not necessarily the same as the one you would wear on an activity holiday! Please make sure it fits, everything swells with the heat and

perspiration and if your hat is too tight you will have headaches which could lead to fainting! The hats I have on Hat Attic are adjustable fit but I would always err on the too big side, you can always pinch it a bit smaller (I will tell you how another time!). And always go for good ventilation ie. natural, breathable fabrics, like straw, paper straw or cotton.

I always wear a sunhat, ever since I burnt my scalp very badly and was left having to wear my hair in pigtails for two weeks, after my holiday, due to it being too painful to move, comb or touch my head! This happened on the last day of my holiday whilst waiting for the airport transfer.

Learn from my mistakes and make sure you are armed with SPF, good sunglasses (if the lenses make everything a colour that it is not, they are no good!) and a great sunhat. Have a safe and happy summer! x