Be Savvy in the Sun with our Suncare Tips

Skin-Saving Sun-Savvy

OK, first the good news: the sun is good for you. It lifts the spirits, warms the bones, creates vitamin D and makes for an all-round jolly good holiday. Now the not-so-good news: in the same way that too much food causes weightgain and assorted related diseases (and thereby makes you look older), too much sun triggers sunburn, assorted related diseases (including skin cancer) and it’s the biggest skin-ager and wrinkle-inducer out there. The trick to getting the best out of glorious weather is to control your exposure. Here’s how…

What you need to know about: UVA-rays

These are longer-length wavelengths that won’t burn the surface of your skin but instead reach deeper into the underlayers where it damages collagen and elastin (the springy, supportive fibres which give your skin suppleness and bounce), leading to creasing and sagging. UVA also makes age spots and pigmentation problems worse. This is why they’re known as UVA-for-Ageing rays. Although their intensity increases from March onward, they’re present all year round and can penetrate cloud and rain as well as glass windows. That’s why long-distance truck drivers develop more wrinkles and skin cancers on one side of their face than the other.

Advice: Mounting numbers of studies show that daily sunscreen results in fewer signs of ageing, so wear sunscreen all year round. Although you can use lower SPF numbers in winter since there’s little danger of burning, UVA protection isn’t indicated by the SPF number but by a separate star-system, so always choose 4-star or, better still, 5-star UVA protection.

What you need to know about: UVB-rays

They’re shorter wavelengths that carry more energy, so they’re more intense and more damaging. These are the rays that cause sunburn (which is why they’re known as UVB-for-Burning rays) and skin cancer. Because they’re stopped by glass, cloud, rain, you need protection only when you’re directly exposed to the sun.

Advice: The SPF number indicates how much UVB protection a product conveys. The higher the number, the greater its protection and the longer you can remain in the sun without burning. Crudely speaking, SPF15 provides low protection in milder conditions or for darker or sun-tolerant skins which are less likely to burn; SPF20-30 provides moderate protection for skins that tan well and don’t burn too quickly; while SPF50 provides high protection for pale skins that burn easily. But exposure times should always be monitored carefully and limited accordingly.

What you need to know about: applying suncream

It may be stating the obvious but SPF50 only provides SPF50 protection if it covers your skin properly. If it’s spread too thin, its protection is reduced, perhaps to SPF25 or even lower. So how much should you apply? International dermatologist Dr Nick Lowe recommends a 10p-sized amount (roughly equivalent to 1ml) for each area: face and neck; front of one hand and forearm; front of one upper arm; front of one shin from foot to knee; front of thigh to waist; front of one side of torso from waist to shoulder, then again on the opposite side of the body – which should equal 11 ‘doses’.

Unless you’re bald and need protection for the back of your head, repeating that all over again on your back accounts for another 10 doses, giving a total of 21 coin-sized amounts or 21ml. A 200ml bottle should therefore last through about eight full-body applications. If you’re a sun-worshipper and reapply it properly every two hours or after every dip, you’ll get through a lot, making the question of how long to keep suncream rather redundant… But remember you can also increase protection with wide-brimmed hats, parasols, covering up and/or seeking the shade (or going inside) between 11am-3pm.

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