Skin Protection Tips for Vancouver’s Seniors

Vancouver Senior Health  |  May 15, 2025

What Every Senior in Vancouver, BC, Needs to Know About Skin Health Ahead of the Summer Season

What do you need to know about skin protection for seniors? Taking care of our skin offers clear cosmetic benefits, but more importantly, it plays a vital role in maintaining overall health—especially for seniors. As skin naturally changes with age, older adults can become more susceptible to the harmful effects of summer weather.

Key factors like sun exposure, high temperatures, and environmental conditions can pose health risks. However, with a bit of awareness and a few simple precautions, caregivers can help seniors safely enjoy the outdoors and all the seasonal activities that come with it.

The Importance of Skin Protection for Seniors

Our skin has many important functions. It serves to protect us from the environment, helps us control our body temperature, fluid and electrolyte balance, and through its nerve receptors, allows us to feel sensations like touch, pain, and pressure.

Over time, skin changes occur due to genetic makeup, nutrition, environmental and other factors like smoking, but the greatest single factor is sun exposure. 

Aging and Skin Protection for Seniors

With aging, the outermost layer of our skin thins and the number of cells that contain pigment decrease. The skin’s strength and elasticity also decreases, blood vessels in the middle layer become fragile, and the subcutaneous fat layer that provides padding and insulation reduces. Age also changes our glands. They produce less oil as we age making it more difficult to keep skin moist, and sweat glands produce less sweat making it harder to keep cool.

Wrinkles and sagging skin are among the most visible signs of growing older, but there are other common effects of age-related deterioration as well. Aging skin appears more pale and translucent, is more fragile and tears easily. 

Skin Protection and the Effects of Sun on Senior Skin

Skin that has been exposed to the sun frequently and consistently produces a leathery, weather-beaten appearance and large pigmented spots called age spots, liver spots or lentigos, may also appear in sun-exposed areas. The most serious diseases directly related to sun exposure are skin cancers such as basal cell, squamous cell carcinoma, and the deadliest, melanoma which is much more likely to spread to other parts of the body when left untreated.

Skin Protection and Sensitive Senior Skin

Older people bruise easily and may bleed under the skin, a condition known as senile purpura. The dwindling fat layer leaves senior skin at risk of injury and reduces his or her ability to maintain body temperature. The lack of natural insulation can cause hypothermia in air conditioning. Because seniors perspire less, it’s harder for them to keep cool and increases their risk for becoming overheated or developing heat stroke.

Skin Protection and Senior Skin Disorders

More than 90% of all older people have some type of skin disorder, too. Common difficulties include those caused by conditions such as blood vessel diseases like arteriosclerosis, diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, nutritional deficiencies, obesity, reactions to medications, and allergies to plants, or other substances to name a few. 

While the effects of aging can’t be reversed, maintaining proper care means having healthy skin and more importantly, healthy senior people.

Here are seven skin protection tips for seniors:

#1. Opt to shower or bathe every other day to avoid dry skin:

Take a sponge bath on alternate days, cleansing gently with moisturizing soap or detergent-free cleansers that do not need to be rinsed. Such cleansers do the job of removing dirt and natural oils but don’t impact the natural acid balance of mature skin.

#2. Apply moisturizer on a daily basis:

Advanced skincare products that nourish the skin from the outside and deliver amino acids, vitamins, antioxidants and ingredients that are gentle and soothing make skin stronger and more resilient.

#3. Stay out of direct sunlight as much as possible:

To protect your senior’s skin from harmful UV rays, the American Cancer Society uses a catch phrase that can help your senior remember some of the key steps to protect him or herself when going out in the sun – “Slip! Slop! Slap! And Wrap!” Meaning, “Slip on a shirt. Slop on Sunscreen. Slap on a hat. And Wrap on sunglasses to protect the eyes and sensitive skin around them.”

#4. Keep hydrated and well fed:

Good nutrition and adequate fluids are especially important for seniors in the hot summer months. Dehydration increases the risk of skin injury.

#5. Protect fragile skin:

Take care to avoid injuries that can cut or tear fragile skin or caustic substances that can disrupt the skin’s protective barrier. Cover small wounds with band aids made for sensitive skin so as not to cause added injury when removing after wounds have healed.

#6. Remember the special needs of seniors with common diseases like diabetes:

Diabetics are more prone to bacterial and fungal infections and itchy skin. Protecting the skin of your senior loved one, especially on extremities, is essential.

#7. Avoid alcohol-based solutions:

astringents, strong bacterial soaps and products that are harsh and damaging for older skin. Hand-sanitizers can be especially drying and using a hand moisturizer afterwards can be important.

Cook-outs, trips to the beach, a day at the pool, walks in the park, fishing at the lake, and other outdoor activities are all part of summertime traditions that everyone enjoys, especially seniors. Most involve the potential to soak up the sun. Think ahead and anticipate your senior loved ones’ needs to protect his or her skin beforehand to assure that summer fun is worry-free.

The Best Senior Home Care Provider in Vancouver, BC, is Comfort Keepers®

Many families prefer Comfort Keepers® when arranging senior home care services for a loved one in or around Vancouver, British Columbia. 

If you are concerned about the health and well-being of your aging loved ones, we can help with 24-hour care. Comfort Keepers Vancouver also provides home care services like respite care, overnight care, Alzheimer’s disease and dementia care, personal care, and more! 

Comfort Keepers® Vancouver Can Help with Companion Care and Interactive Caregiving™

Personal and empathetic care starts in the heart and allows us to meet our clients’ needs. Comfort Keeper’s philosophy is to elevate the human spirit, and our caregivers ensure your loved one experiences a better quality of life.

Trained caregivers help provide our senior clients with personal home care to help maintain the highest possible quality of life, keeping them happy and healthy at home. Our Interactive Caregiving™ delivers a system of care that addresses safety, nutrition, mind, body, and activities of daily living (ADLs).

Bring The Best Home Care Assistance for Seniors Right Where You Live with Comfort Keepers®

Comfort Keepers® Vancouver is proud to provide elder care in homes throughout Vancouver, keeping seniors safe in their homes. We provide home care for the seniors of Vancouver and the surrounding areas of Burnaby, Langley, Maple Ridge, and Richmond. Please call (604) 689-8609. 

Personal Care and Senior Homecare in Vancouver, BC

Learn more about our unique service, which offers personal care, companionship care, palliative and end-of-life care. Contact the Comfort Keepers® Vancouver office today.

Accredited and Quality Respite Care Available 24/7 for British Columbia Families

Accreditation Canada has awarded Comfort Keepers® Vancouver with Exemplary Standing. This designation is only achieved after an organization’s policies, procedures, and processes undergo a thorough evaluation by industry experts to ensure they meet or exceed the stringent quality standards set by Accreditation Canada for Home Care companies.

References

• ‘Aging Changes in Skin,’ from Minaker KL. Common clinical sequelae of aging, published on MedlinePlus (http://www.medline.com)
• ‘Skin Care Benefits Overall Health For Seniors,” published by ARAcontent on Princeton Online, (http://www.princetononline.com)
• ‘Sun Safety: Melanoma,’ published by ARAcontent, Princeton Online, (http://www.princetononline.com)
• ‘Skin Cancer Prevention and Early Detection,’ published by the American Cancer Society online, (http://www.americancancersociety.com)

Share This Post: