The extent to which you need to protect yourself from the sun depends on the destination, season, and planned activities. Your skin type plays an important role as well.

The simplest way of protection is to cover up with clothing, including a hat and UV-blocking sunglasses. Also try to avoid direct sunlight between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m.

However, this is not always possible or appropriate. In that case chose a good sunscreen with SPF (sun protection factor) at least 15, or better 30. If you spend your day on the beach, or if you are planning for activities that result in heavy sweating, you should chose a water-resistant product. Even those types of sunscreens do not last the whole day and should be reapplied every two or three hours. Keep in mind that you can get sunburn even through water.

There is a wide variety of sunscreens available in the market. They can be divided among other criteria, by the type of the filter. There are sunscreen with chemical filters, which soak into your skin and absorb the UV rays. And then there are physical filters sunscreens which cover your skin with a thin mirror-like film that reflects the UV rays. Some sunscreen protect only from UVB rays which are generally considered more dangerous; however, UVA rays are not entirely innocent either. Therefore it may be wiser to choose a sunscreen that provides protection from both types of radiation.

Special sunscreen have been developed for children's skin which is more sensitive and requires a higher level of protection. Children under 1 year should not be exposed to direct sunlight, and even in the shade they should be covered up with appropriate clothing and treated with a special sunscreen for babies.

It is important to use protect your skin from the sun even when the weather is clouded; the common notion that one cannot get sunburn on a cloudy day have caused some serious sunburn in people who spent all day outdoors without any sun protection.