(Intro)

It's summer!  It's time for me and Squeaks to get out our swimsuits, our cool shades, and head outside for some fun in the sun, but I need to make some smart choices before we go outside.  

I need to wear sunscreen, because I don't wanna end up getting a sunburn.  Squeaks doesn't need to worry about getting a sunburn since he's a robot, but we humans can get a sunburn when we stay out in the sun too long and don't protect our skin.  Even though the rays of the sun feel nice and warm and are important for all kinds of life on Earth, some of the rays from the sun's light can actually harm our skin.  Now, our skin does have something in it that helps to protect it from these harmful rays, but sometimes, like when you're outside all day, that's not enough.  

If too many of these rays reach your skin, your skin can become damaged or hurt.  When skin becomes damaged, the body does its best to fix it as soon as possible.  It does this by sending more blood to the damaged area which causes the skin there to get pink or red and feel warm when you touch it.  The damaged area can feel really sore and some of the skin can also peel off and these are all signs of a sunburn.  

There are lots of things that can affect whether you get a sunburn or not.  People with lighter skin sunburn more easily, and spending more time outside can also lead to more of a sunburn, but anyone can get a sunburn.  Luckily, there are plenty of different things that we can do to keep from getting one.  

For example, wearing clothes that cover our skin and completely block the sun's light can keep those harmful rays from getting to the skin on our bodies, and wearing a hat can keep those rays from causing a sunburn on our heads.  We can also try to spend less time in the sun when its rays are brightest.  That's usually between 10 in the morning and 4 in the afternoon, but one of the easiest things that we can do is to wear sunscreen.  

Sunscreen can be a lotion, a cream, or a spray, but no matter what kind of sunscreen you use, it keeps some of the sun's rays from getting to your skin and can help stop a sunburn.  Most sunscreens work by either soaking up those harmful rays, kind of like a sponge, or by reflecting them, kind of like a mirror.  Most experts say that you should put sunscreen on at least ten minutes before you go outside and you should put on lots of it.  It's a good idea to get some help putting on sunscreen, especially places that are kind of hard to reach like all over your back, and pay special attention to places you might not think about, like your ears, the backs of your legs, and the back of your neck, and once you get your sunscreen on, you should make sure you keep it on.  It's a great idea to take a break every few hours and put on more sunscreen, especially if you're running around and getting sweaty or you're swimming at the pool or at the beach.  

So enjoy your time in the sun this summer, but don't forget to wear your sunscreen.  Thanks for joining us on SciShow Kids.  If you wanna keep learning and having fun with Squeaks and me, click the red subscribe button and we'll see you next time here at the fort.  

(Endscreen)