The Aussie summer can be a scorcher, making it tough to stay indoors when the sun is shining brightly.

There’s nothing like going for a dip in the ocean or a backyard pool, or simply heading outdoors to soak up some rays.

However sun protection is critical when heading outdoors, given Australia has the world’s highest incidence of skin cancer, with two-in-three Aussies set to be diagnosed with the deadly disease by the time they turn 70.

Notably, 90-95 per cent of skin cancers are caused by sun exposure. Given Australia’s location under the hole in the ozone layer, this affords us less protection from UV radiation, which increases our risk of non-melanoma skin cancer and malignant melanoma.

Our love of the outdoors places us all at dramatically heightened risk of over-exposure to UV radiation.

GLAD Adelaide reported, alarmingly, 77 per cent of Aussies agree we need to be more sun smart. Exercising sun safety is crucial to protecting against the damaging effects of sun exposure.

The short-term effects of over-exposure to the sun and UV radiation include heat stroke, sunburn, dehydration and in some extreme cases, third degree burns.

In the long-term, over-exposure to UV radiation can lead to an acceleration of the skin ageing process, pigmentation or ‘sun spots’ and skin cancer.

Importantly, sun damage can be prevented by exercising simple sun protection measures such as applying a high SPF+ sunscreen lotion, wearing long-sleeve shirts and pants, wearing a hat, and taking cover in shaded areas (even a beach umbrella) when planning to spend significant time out in the sun.

Various Aussie marketing campaigns have been launched this summer designed to raise public awareness of the importance of sun protection using ultraviolet (UV) cameras to demonstrate the effectiveness of sunscreen. One of the campaign’s that’s caught our attention at VIVA! is Nivea’s “Take Care Out There” campaign.

Check out the video below to see how the sun sees your skin before and after the application of sunscreen!

‘Take Care Out There’ with NIVEA Sun

And remember to take care out there by protecting your skin from sun damage this summer.