You're Probably Forgetting To Do This When Wearing Sandals

When the sun is shining and warmer days become more frequent, the carefree mentality starts to settle in. After all, getting dressed only requires slipping on something loose and sliding on a pair of sandals. You can throw your food on the grill, and toss your towel off before diving in for a refreshing dip. Summer temps call for simpler times.

Before you get too relaxed with your tank top and salty beach wave look, we don't want you to forget one crucial step that you should take before sliding on your sandals. It doesn't matter if you're sporting chunky Doc Martens, rubber Filas, or classic Birkenstocks. Your feet are in need of an extra layer of protection.

If your guess is a band-aid to prevent irritating blisters, that may also be worth having on hand. A painful blister can really put a damper on your day, but our momentary focus is on preventing another, more serious skin issue.

"It's important to apply sun protection on the top of your feet as this is one of the areas that [receive] the most UV radiation when you are walking around, it's also a common site for sunburn," Dr. Thivi Maruthappu, a consultant dermatologist and British Skin Foundation spokesperson, told Glamour UK.

Most of us are good about slathering our shoulders, faces, and chests with sunscreen. It's easy to remember to protect the places that are often the first to burn. That is why it is especially important to get into the routine of putting sunscreen in areas of your body that just play peek-a-boo with harmful ultraviolet rays. According to the American Academy of Dermatology, melanoma — the most serious skin cancer — can develop in places where the sun rarely shines, such as on your feet. Because many of us overlook our feet when checking for signs of skin mutations, melanoma often goes unnoticed before it has spread to other areas of the body. The placement and form of cancer aren't more partial to one ethnicity. In fact, detection of melanoma on the foot is as prevalent among African Americans as it is among Caucasians.

Summer is really all about more carefree days. The next time you're about to head outside and use sunscreen, we urge you to apply it from head to toe — and we do mean toe.