If you’re not careful, there’s one thing that can totally ruin your spring break. That is a bad, blistering sunburn. Not only can it be painful in the moment, but sunburns increase your risk for skin cancer later in life.

Here’s my 3 top sun and skin safety tips for your spring break:

1. Hydrate!

Most of us don’t drink enough water in our regular environment. When you add in a sunny location your body is working hard to keep itself cool. Water will perspire from your skin and evaporate into the air without you even knowing it. If you’re working out, you will visibly see sweat and know your body is losing water. Drinking alcohol also severely dehydrates your body, leaving your skin much more vulnerable to a sunburn.

Bring a water bottle that you can refill a couple of times a day with fresh pure water and drink at least half of your body weight in ounces. If you weigh 150 pounds, you should drink at least 75 ounces of water every day.

2. Electrolytes to the rescue!

Electrolytes are chemical substances in our body that help balance the hydration of our cells as well as our PH level. Examples are magnesium, potassium, sodium and chloride. When your body is dehydrated, say from too many cocktails or a tough workout, the best way to keep your body hydrated is to add this electrolyte hydrator by Vega to your water and sip on it throughout the day.

3. Protect your pores!

I know you’ve probably been cooped up indoors all winter and hoping to get a bronzed complexion before you head back home. But please do not skip your SPF. Wear at least SPF 30 at all times when outdoors, especially if you have a pale complexion to begin with.

If you want to take your skin safety to another level, try and avoid sunscreens that are filled with toxic chemicals that can disrupt your endocrine (hormonal) system and bring long term damage. Always look for a PABA free sunscreen; those are now easy to find. The more difficult-to-find but cleaner products are going to be free of parabens and oxybenzone.

If you are interested in cleaner skin products, check out the new app called Think Dirty. Download it for free and scan barcodes of your favorite beauty products, including sunscreen and find out how they rate on a toxic level.

Enjoy your spring break. Tell us: Where are you headed?