Just like plants,
gardeners need only so much sun to thrive. An experienced gardener
wouldn’t put a shade-loving fern in the sun any more than she
would put a sun-loving daisy in shade. The light requirement for
a fair-skinned, freckled person like myself in Florida’s Zone
10 is full shade. Unlike plants, though, gardeners don’t stay
put.
Sun protection for
the gardener is further complicated by the fact that gardeners
are time-impaired. Once they’ve stepped into the garden, all time
is lost. Has it been 15 minutes or an hour I’ve been out here?
To a gardener, a quick stroll through the garden midday snipping
this and watering that can easily turn into an hour.
Short of gardening
under the light of the full moon, how do we tend our gardens in
the daylight without getting sun damaged? A combination of common
sense, sunscreen, and hi-tech know-how.
One way to minimize
exposure is to take advantage of the safe window — before 9 a.m.
and after 4 p.m. The most solar-intense times of day fall in those
seven hours in-between, when the atmosphere absorbs less of the
harmful UV rays of sunlight.
Many smart gardeners
already gear their day to to avoid the heat, gardening early and
late. Still, it’s easy to get fooled into working outside right
smack in the middle of the day if a cool wind picks up or clouds
move in. That’s a mistake. Even on a cloudy day, 80 percent of
the sun’s ultraviolet rays pass through the clouds.
Commonsense should
also tell us that a hat and sunglasses are important. A wide-brimmed
hat protects the ears, neck, and face, the areas where most cancers
occur. Forget the open-weave straw hat. Opt for a hat with a tight
a weave to block UV rays and choose a light color to keep cool.
A good sun-protective hat should have a 3 to 4-inch-wide brim
all the way around or a brim in the front and a Legionnaire's-style
flap in the back. If you have a hat that does the job, you can
add a lightweight neck flap made of hi-tech fabric called Solarweave.
The Chic Sheik, sells for $15 online at Sun Grubbies (www.sungrubbies.com).
Don’t forget the sunglasses.
Sun exposure can lead to cataracts and other eye damage. Sunglasses
do not have to be pricey to do the job. Just make sure the tag
or label says they block 99 to 100 percent of UVA and UVB radiation.
For gardening during
solar prime time, sunscreen is a given. But much about this valuable
sun-protection tool is widely misunderstood. Reports indicate
that people are guilty of not using enough, don’t put it on before
they go out, mistakenly think it gives them an extension on time
in the sun, don’t reapply frequently, and aren’t savvy about looking
for UVA protection.
Sunscreen with at least
an SPF (Sun Protection Factor) rating of 15, the minimum recommended,
blocks 93 percent of UVB rays. An SPF of 30 blocks 97 percent
of UVB rays. The SPF rating is also an indicator of how long you
can stay in the sun before your skin turns beet red. If you would
normally burn after 10 minutes in the sun without sunscreen, then
SPF 15 sunscreen theoretically would allow you to stay outside
for about 150 minutes without getting crisp. Once you've reached
the time allotted by your SPF, more sunscreen doesn’t buy more
time.
It’s only recently
that experts acknowledge the important role UVA rays play in skin
damage. UVA penetrates the skin more deeply than UVB rays, and
is considered the chief culprit behind cancers like melanoma,
immunosuppression, as well as "photoaging," wrinkling and leathering.
Since SPF on labels
only measures UVB, the FDA is considering adding a second rating
system for UVA protection. In the meantime, advice about what
ingredients provide the best UVA protection varies. Most experts
agree that the phrase “broad spectrum” protection on a label usually
means protection from UVB and some UVA wavelengths.
The American Academy
of Dermatologists’ (AAD) recommends looking for ingredients like
benzophenones, oxybenzone, sulisobenzone, titanium dioxide, zinc
oxide, and avobenzone (Parsol 1789). Medscape.com
(requires first time registration) singles out avobenzone and
zinc oxide as the best UVA protectors.
Luckily, applying the
product is simpler than selecting one. Lather it on at least 30
minutes before going out so it has time to absorb. Keep the bottle
handy. You’ll need to apply it again every two hours. Don't be
tempted to skimp. AAD recommends using an ounce, that’s enough
to fill a coffee scoop. Applying less than the recommended dose
means you’re getting less protection.
Be mindful of the UV
Index, which provides a forecast of the risk of overexposure to
the sun and indicates the degree of caution needed outdoors. The
UV Index predicts exposure levels on a scale of 0 to 10+. A 0
indicates a low risk of overexposure; 10+ means a very high risk
of overexposure. Check the UV index on any given day for your
area at the EPA
Web site.
In winter, ultraviolet
rays are pretty much blocked by the atmosphere in the northern
hemisphere because of the Earth’s tilt away from the sun. But
don’t think you’re off the hook. Snow reflects up to 80 percent
of the sun's rays. And if you’re outside for any amount of time,
an SPF 15 sunscreen is recommended.
Other factors can make
you at risk year round. Gardeners closer to the equator are at
risk all year. The “Sun Belt” is called the “Melanoma Belt” for
good reason. It accounts for the higher skin cancer rates. Those
living at high elevations need to be aware that ultraviolet radiation
increases 4 to 5 percent with every 1000 feet above sea level,
according to the Skin Cancer Foundation. Gardeners close to any
reflective surface — water, sand, snow, or even concrete — are
vulnerable to rays bouncing back as much as 90 percent.
Next Time: Protective
Clothing
