May is well placed — it lands just before the months that cause the problem. Buyers are dermatology practices, health systems running screening events, employers with outdoor workforces, school districts, and parks and recreation departments. The product here can genuinely prevent harm, which is rarer than it sounds in this business.

Shade is the product

Wide-brim hats, bucket hats and UPF-rated apparel do more real work than anything else you can hand out this month. A bucket hat with a UPF rating on an outdoor crew is a genuine intervention. Look for the UPF number rather than assuming — a thin unrated cotton cap does much less than people think.

Sunglasses rank well and are worth including, but treat them as the secondary item. A hat covers the ears, nose and neck, which is where the damage concentrates.

Sunscreen has an expiry date

Branded sunscreen and SPF lip balm are popular and come with a catch most buyers miss: they expire, and the expiry has to be printed. Don’t over-order a two-year supply. Check the SPF and the broad-spectrum claim on the actual product being supplied, and don’t let marketing copy imply more protection than the label states.

Outdoor workforces are the best target

If you’re an employer with landscaping, construction, utility or delivery crews, this is the highest-value month on the calendar for you. The people most exposed are the least likely to buy their own UPF gear. Branded hats and long-sleeve sun shirts get worn every day because they’re better than the alternative, and your logo goes along for the ride.