For sunbathers who want to be safe.

Wear a cool hat with a wide brim.

Wear cool UV radiation protection sunglasses... but, if you are in hot countries, get into the habit of taking them off every 5 minutes or so for about 30 seconds to remind your body how light it is!

Wear cool, loose flowing clothes made from tightly woven material. Neither the weight of the cloth nor the colour appears to matter very much.

If the sun is hot, get into the habit of slopping on sunscreen on all exposed skin... within the half an hour before you go out, again after about twenty minutes in the sun, followed again every two hours or more frequently if needed. (Remember that UV rays can bounce quite strongly off sand, water, walls and other surfaces.)

If you have light skin, freckles, lots of moles, pale eye colour, or are allergic to sunshine, recognise that you are more likely to develop problems with sunbathing than most people and be prepared to avoid the sun if you can. Certainly, for the same SPF, the length of time that you can safely stay in the sun is likely to be a lot less than your darker skinned fellow sunbather.

Take a tip from those who live in very hot countries - enjoy being outdoors in the morning, in the late afternoon and in the evening, thus avoiding the sun´s strongest rays which are usually between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. (11 a.m to 3 p.m in countries well away from the equator.) An easy rule of thumb: If your shadow is shorter than your height, stay out of the sun.

If you do need to go out between 10am and 4pm then make sure you are well protected. Use SPF 15+ sunscreen applied on any exposed skin but especially to face, ears, nose, back of the neck and arms.

If you live in a country well away from the equator and are concerned that your Vitamin D levels might be low then on warm sunny days expose as much of yourself as you can to the sun after 4pm and without sunscreen protection but for no more than 15 to 20 minutes on any particular day unless your doctor says otherwise.

Try not to confuse tanning with healthiness. Tanning is cosmetic only but that may still be important for you. If you are tanning, do so in the sun, not on a sunbed where rays are now too intense. Children under 18 should never use a sunbed. Sunbed tanning before going on holiday gives you very little added protection, equivalent to SPF 2 or 3 at the most. Always use sunscreens while tanning.

Apply sunscreen at the rate of at least 2 mg per square cm of skin. On average, that is over twice as much as most people apply. Check that the sunscreen you use is SPF 15 or slightly more and that it contains antioxidants which are listed before the fragrance or preservative.

Refresh your protection at least every two hours. Remember to re-apply sunscreen every time you have been in the water, have dried off with a towel, or have significantly perspired.

Keep a sharp eye on children, who have more sensitive skin and play in the sand. They need far more and more frequent protection than adults.

Remember to keep refreshed - drink a lot of safe water or genuine fruit juice cocktails but keep the alcohol levels low. Eat a sensible diet based largely on plant foods - fruit (especially strawberries, blackberries, blueberries, plums but not limes or lemons in hot sun), nuts, grains and vegetables are cool - and keep fatty foods off the scene as much as you can.

.. and of course, exercise! Go on, build up a gentle sweat, for at least 30 minutes every day, but obviously not between 10am and 4pm and only if your doctor agrees!