Here is a great guide to shed some light on how to tan safely and how to enjoy your Dominican Republic vacation without going over board with the sun so your family and you can get the most out of the long hot Caribbean days that are just waiting for you all…

Sunlight and UV Rays
One of the nicest moments about coming on vacation, must be when you walk from your hotel room, in beach clothes or swimming attire and then feel the glorious rays of the sun on your face and back.  It seems forever since you last felt the sun this way and how good it feels too.

We all know that the sun’s rays give us a major source of Vitamin D which helps the body make calcium, and build strong bones, but it doesn’t take that long to gain this benefit from the sun, so we do not from a medical stand point, have to stay in the sun for hour upon hour to rejuvenate our bodies. This in fact can have negative effects on our bodies and in turn become dangerous.  Results can vary from our skin being damaged, our eyes suffering, immune system suppression and even cancer (and there is no age limit on cancer).

Let’s take a look at the type of different sun rays.  There are 3 kinds of ultraviolet (UV) rays and all are invisible and all reach planet earth UVA, UVB and UVC.
Effects from UVA and UVB sun rays give us a sun tan but they can also give us burns, acne and cancer, so we need at all times to protect our skin from this.

Depending where we are in the world too affects the strength of UV rays and also the season, time of day in relation to the sun and our planet. For example the altitude and latitude of some countries will receive stronger and more intense UV light and rays than other places.  Countries closer to the equator, of which the Dominican Republic is one such country, experiences stronger UV rays due to its latitude  near the equator.  During summer time UV rays are at their strongest and also between the hours of 10.00am to 4.00pm.  Countries with high altitudes (where cloud and air cover are less) have an increased penetration of UV rays too.

We must protect ourselves from the harmful UV rays and help our body’s natural defense mechanisms.  The skins first defense is the production of melanin.  This is a chemical reaction and melanin is present in everybody in a variety of colors and concentrations.  Melanin reacts with UV sun rays and absorbs them.  This will cause the melanin to spread out or grow thus giving us a sun tan.  The darker the skin color then the more melanin the skin has for protection.

Be Careful
Tanning looks great on the surface but look a little deeper to see what over tanning can do to a person’s body!  If you are exposed in great length to the sun, then the greater the damage will be.  People who are exposed to the sun on a regular basis, like ship crews, surfers, field and farm workers are at a higher risk of sun skin damage than indoor workers.  What happens to people who work outside is that the amount of UV exposure is greater than what the skins melanin can handle, this will result in sunburn amongst other long term damage.  Those people with lighter and fairer skins who have less melanin being produced, usually can absorb a lot less UV rays, these people will need more protection especially when on vacation! So watch out and lube up!

Help is at Hand with SPF’s

We can help our skin by using a sun screen product which will give us some protection against UV rays. When buying a sun screen product look at the number on the products label, this is the SPF number or the sun protection number.  Sunscreen products can be made up of ingredients just for protection against UVA rays however it is the UVB rays that we need to really watch out for.  So look for a sun screen product that gives protection against both UVA and UVB rays. The SPF listed on the product label tells us the minimum amount of UVB sunlight required with that product in order for redness to first appear on our skin after we have applied the sun screen, versus the length of time bare skin or skin without the product applied would take to redden.

In other words the SPF number tells people how long they can last in the sun with protection for their skin without getting burned.  Here is an example formula for calculating SPF’s:

12 minutes X 15 SPF = 180 minutes (3 hours)

Sunscreen products with a higher SPF provide more protection against the sun.

Tanning Safely

We are by no means qualified medical practitioners, but take a look at the tanning safely guide to protect your family, kids and yourselves especially babies and younger children.

Shaving – Avoid shaving right before you decide to put on your sun tan cream to avoid irritation.

Streaking – Be careful of going in the pool or ocean just after you have applied your sun screen as this could result in getting streaks and leaving parts of your body not as well covered as the rest!

Applying – Work in small areas and in even strokes rub in your sun tan product and don’t be stingy! Be generous! Remember to apply protection to your ears, face, lips (you can use a lip balm), neck, shoulders nose and other small areas.
You should try to apply your sun tan lotion 30 minutes before you are going out into the sun.  Re-apply every 2 or 3 hours afterwards or after you have been in the water, showered etc.

Water Proof/No Sweat Sun Screen – You still need to re apply this kind of sun protection cream even though many products sell themselves saying you don’t have to.  I have to say I am not happy with water proof sun creams.  I used a child friendly one a while ago on my toddler, it did not allow his skin to breath and he got really overheated and got a nasty sun rash.  Please use these with caution, I thought they would be great for kids as they are in and out of the water all day, but I will avoid them as I feel they do more harm than good by not allowing our skins to breath properly or sweat.

Watch out for Stains on Your Clothes – Be careful when using products that contain: padimate O, lisadimate, aminobenzoic acid or roxadimate.  These agents could cause discoloration and stain your clothes a yellowish color.

Eye Protection – Sunglasses! You can buy now pretty good sun glasses that offer UV protection – even for youngsters! It is worth investing in a decent pair.

Babies and Young Kids – Young children burn more easily because of their thinner skin and that their melanin development is slower.  It does not matter the skin color of your baby.  My toddler is very dark skinned and he will still burn.  Do not put on sun screen on babies younger than 6 months of age.  Use protective clothing for your toddlers etc.  The swim suits with UV protection are great, Hats, Caps etc.  Remember the back of their necks and legs too.

High SPF’s – Simple rule of thumb – the higher the SPF the greater the protection offered, you should always go for an SPF of 15 or more anyway.

First Aid Sun Tips
Heat stroke, heat sickness, dehydration and fainting can all result in too much sun, and a sun burn may not be present either!  Fever, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting can also be symptoms, if you are feeling a little off color then go to your nearest doctor or clinic to get yourself checked out.

Sunburn Relief- For sunburns first drink plenty of fluids.  Go for something clear and cool, like water and not coke.  Make a cool compress or soak in cool water – not cold.  Do not use soap on your skin as this can irritate it.  Do not apply butter or any form of grease onto your sun burn this is an old wives tale.  You can though try cucumber slices, or natural yoghurt as both have cooling properties.

Try and find an after sun or moisturizer containing aloe vera one of the best natural resources against any kind of burn.

 

 

Dominican territory is still under the influence of a trough located over the country, which is generating rain, thunderstorms and occasional gusts of winds to many parts of the island. Saturday will start partly cloudy with the sun burning off any low clouds by mid-morning, but come the afternoon hours, cloud will once again increase and cause sporadic showers and storms, some quite hard in places.

Temperatures will remain hot, due to the southeasterly winds, with highs of 31-33ªC and evening lows of 23-25ºC.

An east-southeast wind will bring more cloudiness to the Dominican Republic on Friday, especially along the East and South coasts. The very warm temperatures will continue through Friday and into the weekend with daytime highs of around 32-34ºC and the evening lows of 24-26ºC

Tropical Storm Colin has regenerated about 800km south-southwest of Bermuda, but is no threat to the Dominican Republic. Another low pressure system in the North Atlantic about 1440km southwest of the Cape Verde islands has a 20% chance of becoming a tropical cyclone during the next 48 hours.

From today, an increase in precipitation is expected over the much of Dominican territory.

An easterly Wind, and the approach of a tropical wave will be responsible for increased occurrences of rainfall with thunderstorms and gusty winds in the coming days. The easterly wind carries moisture-laden cloud cores that will passing showers, some heavy in places, while the tropical wave would cause instability in the atmosphere to give rise to the showers with thunderstorms and gusty winds across much of the country more toward the North, Northeast, Southeast and Central corridor.

Wednesdays highs are expected to be 28-32ºC with evening lows of around 24-26ºC

The working week begins with stable weather conditions over the Dominican Republic. Rains will be scarce during the next 72 hours, and any produced will be mostly kept to the mountain ranges of the Cordillera Central and the Cibao Valley.

Temperatures will start to feel warmer too, with day time highs between 28-32ºC dropping to 22-26ºC in the evenings

Miami, US - The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmosphere Agency) has reported that this years hurricane season, could be one of the most active to be recorded since records began.

The agency is predicting 14-23 named storms this season of which between 8-14 will become hurricanes and 3-7 becoming major storms. Adding to the fear of such an active system is the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico and the rebuilding of Haiti, which is affected quite frequently with such storms.

With all this in mind, please do not this make you change or cancel any vacation plans you have to this beautiful island - Due to the fact that these storms are easy to predict and track, we will be monitoring any weather pheonomenon and will be reporting accordingly.

During the night and early morning cloud cover is expected to produce light to moderate showers and thunderstorms to the northern slopes of the Cordillera Central in the provinces Santiago, Puerto Plata, Duarte, Maria Trinidad Sanchez and Espaillat and San Cristobal, Distrito Nacional, San Pedro de Macoris and La Romana.

For today, the weather conditions are still under the impact of a trough across the Caribbean, moving slowly eastward. The sky will remain partly cloudy to cloudy over the country and continue to produce showers and possible thunderstorms with gusty winds across much of the Dominican Republic.

Top temperatures will be 86-88ºF while the evening lows will be 74-76ºF

Analysis by the Dominican Meteorology society (ONAMET), and model forecasts indicate that rainfall the country has been experiencing of late, will continue for several more days in much of the national territory, and with tendencies to be more intense.

ONAMET have issued flood and landslide warnings to residents in low-lying areas near rivers, streams and creeks in the provinces Monsignor Nouel, La Vega, Maria Trinidad Sanchez, Sanchez Ramirez, Las Hermanas Mirabal (Salcedo), Espaillat, Santiago, Duarte (especially those in the Bajo Yuna), El Seibo and Monte Plata.

Due to the rains, the temperatures are expected to remain a comfortable 78-80ºF during the day dropping to 71-73ºF in the evenings

A lot of people ask "When is the best time to visit the Dominican Republic?"

Well, quite simple really...the DR is a year round holiday destination with average temperatures a beautiful and balmy 27 degrees centigrade. Of course, these days it is impossible to avoid the climate's growing unpredictability.

If you have come to the Dominican Republic for your Christmas vacation then you are in for a wonderful week of toasty Christmas weather, forget the snow and sleet and bring on the sun, beautiful beaches and warm Caribbean waters.  Yes, it's forecast to be a stunner of a week with high temps soaring guaranteeing you'll be roasting your chestnuts on the sunlounger by the pool! And if it's a Christmas Cracker you're looking to pull this year then go straight to the top of the pile as the Dominican Republic is number one this Winter for Christmas breaks! Have a wonderful holiday week and remember your suncream as you don't want to Rudolph the Rednosed tourist now do you?!