Take a Brit to the Mediterranean and we’ll diligently slather on the factor 30, make sure to avoid direct sunlight during the middle-of-the-day danger zone and return home with a healthy holiday glow. Just don’t ask us to navigate any sort of sun admin at home.
For some reason, we still consider a bottle of Ambre Solaire a holiday purchase; still chance our luck even on the hottest days; still end up burnt and annoyed when temperatures exceed about 26C. Case in point: I lay on a beach in Barcelona for a week in June in 30 degree heat and didn’t get burnt once (I have red hair and freckles, so consider this an achievement), but last Saturday didn’t think to pack sun cream for an afternoon at my local lido; in a surprise to precisely no one, I came away with my chest and left knee roughly the colour of a freshly-boiled lobster.
In case you hadn’t heard, Britain is currently experiencing a heatwave. And it’s fair to say we’re not very good at it. While many of us might pay attention to those harmful UV rays on holiday, we are exceptionally bad at looking after ourselves when it’s hot at home. More than a quarter of us believe we don’t need SPF in the UK as “the sun isn’t strong enough”, according to one recent survey, which also found that the majority of us will slather our children in factor 50 but not put it on ourselves, while one in six don’t think they need to put sun cream on if they’re already wearing a beauty product with a bit of SPF in it.
Given there’s a chance some parts of Britain could hit 40 degrees in July (this week alone will see highs of 34), there has surely never been a better time to finally get to grips with sun cream. Which is why I spoke to the experts to find out everything you need to know.
The safest sunscreen? Look for star ratings on the bottle
There are three things you want from your sun cream, says Prof Brian Diffey of the British Association of Dermatologists. First, you need an SPF which is appropriate for what you intend to do in the sun – factor 30 or higher if you’re going to be out in it for more than just a few minutes, he says. Second, you need the kind of sun cream that is going to absorb over “a wide range of the different UV wavelengths”.
“The measure of that is the star rating, which you’ll find on the back of a bottle of sunscreen,” he says. “The star rating goes up to five stars; you should be looking for one that offers four or five star protection. It means you’re getting a broad protection over most of the UV spectrum.”
Third is what Prof Diffey calls “compliance”. “You want to choose a product that you find pleasurable to use,” he says, otherwise you’ll be less inclined to reapply it or even to slap on a particularly thick initial layer.
How much sunscreen is enough?
The protection you’re going to get from your sun cream relies partly on the concentration of active chemicals the manufacturer has used (it’s these “active chemicals” that will absorb the many different parts of the UV spectrum). But it’s also about how thickly you apply it. “If you apply a thin layer of sunscreen, it’s absorbing a very small number of the sun’s UV rays,” says Prof Diffey. “So its protection factor – even if you’re using factor 30 – may only be [operating at] a five or 10 in reality.”
Most of us typically apply sun cream at about half the thickness the manufacturers test it at, says Prof Diffey. “That means the coverage being delivered to you is around about a third to a half of what it says on the bottle.”
For good coverage on your face and neck, aim to apply half a teaspoon at a time, says Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme, a medical consultant at beauty brand CeraVe. “An easy way to measure this is by using two full fingers.” Dr Ejikeme recommends swiping sun cream down the length of two fingers, pressing your fingers onto each cheek, then your forehead and chin, before rubbing it all in. For the full body, you need something more akin to “a golf ball”, she says.
“Remember it needs to be reapplied every two hours, or more frequently after swimming, heavy perspiration or towelling off.”
Know your UVAs from UVBs
Sun cream and beauty products often claim to be UVA or UVB resistant and the distinction is important. UVA is present all year round – these are the rays that penetrate deeper into the skin and cause the skin to age. It’s UVB rays that cause sunburn and skin cancer.
When browsing the sun cream shelves, then, it’s crucial to look for “a high SPF value [SPF is a measure of protection against UVB rays] as well as the circled UVA logo”, says Dr Hiva Fassihi, consultant dermatologist at La Roche Posay. “This means the product will give the best possible protection against sunburn and skin cancers and will also protect against UVA radiation which causes skin ageing.”
It’s worth remembering, says Dr Ejikeme, that UVA rays “will penetrate glass”. “So if you’re planning a long car journey or sit all day by a window in your office, UVA protection in your sun cream is important.”
Work out your personal SPF
If you tend to slather any old factor on without paying much attention to how much protection you need, or swear you’re a factor 15 person but find you end up burning, a simple bit of sun maths could be required.
It’s tempting to assume your personal SPF is a simple calculation of the time you take to burn multiplied by whatever the factor is. So, if you burn after 10 minutes in the sun, using a sunscreen labelled with SPF15 should mean you could safely remain in the sun for 150 minutes before burning. But for most people that won’t be the case.
The British Association of Dermatologists says a safer way to think about it is that applying an SPF15 sun cream results in a UV exposure “of one-fifteenth of that which you would have received if you had not applied any sunscreen”.
Animal, vegetable or mineral – how “natural” should your sun cream be?
Sun creams are often split into two camps, referred to on the packaging as “mineral” or “chemical”. The names are slightly misleading, says Prof Diffey, as all sun creams contain chemicals of some sort. More accurately, sun creams either contain organic or inorganic UV filters, or, as with most off-the-shelf basic sun creams, a mixture of both.
“What manufacturers tend to do these days is use two or three organic chemicals and they’ll mix that with a non organic chemical like titanium dioxide,” says Prof Diffey.
Inorganic filters like titanium dioxide and zinc oxide are often referred to as “physical” or “mineral” as they “reflect and scatter UV rays,” says Dr Fassihi. They tend to be found in children’s sun cream, and can leave a white residue on the skin and feel a little greasy.
“Chemical sunscreen ingredients are effective in absorbing UVR and are cosmetically much more acceptable,” says Dr Fassihi. They tend to have a lighter feel, meaning they go on easier.
For Dr Sarah Tonks, a dermatologist at the Lovely Clinic in London, chemical sun creams are a no-go. “I don’t use any chemical sunscreens. First of all, it gives me acne, and second of all I’m worried about the [impact on the] coral.”
National Geographic estimates 14,000 tonnes of sun cream washes up into our oceans every year, which can be toxic to marine life and coral reefs. Earlier this year, Holland & Barrett banned chemical sunscreens. Meanwhile, dermatologists say “mineral” sun creams tend to irritate your skin less.
Ultimately, they both protect the skin, so the best thing to do is to find one you genuinely find palatable to apply.
Once-a-day sunscreens don’t work
Which? tested once-a-day sun creams in 2016, finding a 74 per cent decrease in protection by the end of a day’s wear. Both Cancer Research UK and the British Association of Dermatologists advise against using them, and it’s worth noting they’re banned in Australia. They risk giving you a false sense of security when you could well be rubbing the cream off with your clothes and found the protection decreases after a swim.
Invest in a good face sunscreen
Dr Tonks says it’s important to pick a face cream that is kind to your skin. “It’s about how reactive the face is. So I know if I use one that’s meant for the body on my face I’m going to get spots.”
She finds the texture of the cream is often less appealing in cheap sun creams, which makes it far less appealing to put on your face. “The formulation just isn’t as nice. You can see the cast on the skin and it can often look quite white.”
As always with beauty, you can splash out if you’re so inclined. “You’ve got these really fancy SPFs from brands like Skinceuticals, which actually help with pigmentation. They have one called Ultra Facial Defence that actually helps to get rid of the pigmentation you’ve already got.”
But you don’t need to splash out. “I don’t think La Roche Posay is particularly expensive for their SPF and I think their products are fantastic,” says Dr Tonks.
That SPF in your tinted moisturiser isn’t enough
It’s tempting to just rely on the dash of SPF in your moisturiser or foundation rather than smear sun cream over a freshly made face, but on a hot day, that really isn’t going to cut it, says Dr Tonks.
“It’s important if you’re going to be in strong, direct sunlight to use a separate SPF. The stuff in makeup is just ‘nice to have’. It’s not really going to be enough because you’re not going to cover enough of the face with it.”
Put sun cream on before you apply your makeup and instead of a face moisturiser (another reason why it’s worth investing in a good one). Then, a face spray can come in handy for reapplying, says Dr Tonks. “Supergoop does one that you can spray on. It’s got an SPF in. If you’re out in the sun and you need to use sunscreen over your make up then it’s better than not using anything.”
Seven super sun creams
- La Roche-Posay Anthelios Ultra-Light Invisible Fluid SPF30, £18. Recommended by dermatologists as a lightweight, fairly low-cost face sunscreen. It’s hypoallergenic so should irritate skin less than others.
- Nivea Sun Protect Moisture SPF30, £6. In trials by consumer magazine Which? this passed SPF and UVA tests while also being the easiest to apply.
- Skinceuticals, Ultra Facial Defense SPF50, £41. If you’re splashing out, dermatologist Dr Sarah Tonks says this one will treat pigmentation and the UVA will help prevent any more skin damage.
- Asda Protect Cooling Clear Sun Mist SPF30, £3.50. Recommended by Which? for giving excellent sun protection and being easy to apply.
- Babo botanicals, Sheer zinc continuous spray sunscreen, SPF30, £16. Dr Tonks favours this spray which doesn’t contain the sun filters that are thought to harm the environment.
- Caudalie Beautifying Suncare Oil SPF30, £21. This one also has green credentials. It doesn’t include the sun filters – and it’s free from silicones and alcohol, too.
- Boots Soltan Protect & Moisturise Spray SPF30, £4.50. Absorbs easily into the skin, provides excellent SPF and UVA resistance, and doesn’t leave much in the way of white residue.
