I’ve already taken a look at sunglasses and swimwear this season, but one important area we’ve yet to encounter is sun protection.
It’s all too easy to forget the need to slap on the sun block, but UV damage is something we all need to pay very close attention to.
Follow this quick FAQ and to avoid peeling skin and nasty burns this season:
Creams
In years gone by, pasting on the sun cream was a chore and a bother. Nowadays, creams are lighter, more resistant and not so oily. They’re still the best way of providing good protection and even coverage over the whole body. Typically cheaper than alternative products, creams are a great cost-effective buy and usually have greater SPF ratings than their equivalent counterparts. Just be careful not to mix with sand at the beach…
Sprays
One of the boons of recent years; sprays are much lighter and thinner than creams and are therefore much easier to apply, particularly in difficult to reach areas like the back. They dry quickly, but don’t typically offer the same range of protection as creams and are far more susceptible to water erosion, requiring reapplication more often.
Wipes
These are extremely portable and are easily kept on hand. They’re far simpler to apply around the face, neck and chin than with a spray or cream, and are great for getting into those tricky crevices (around the toes for example).
Naturally, wipes offer limited body coverage and applications are strictly a ‘one time’ deal, so it’s better to bring along a bottle and use the wipes for touching up areas instead.
Sticks
If you’ve seen deodorant blocks then you’ll know the drill. These squishy bars of protection are ideal when you want the flexibility of a controlled applicator but without the mess of a cream.
Top Tip
Wipes can easily be stashed inside your vehicle’s glove box; so sudden trips to the beach needn’t be a reason to go unprotected.
Advice for using Sunscreen
Avoid the midday sun
Even with plenty of sun cream applied, you should always try to avoid the influx of damaging rays that arrive with the midday heat. You might feel overdressed with a t-shirt, hat and parasol but lobster skin hardly says “sexy”.
Don’t forget to reapply
Most people overlook this whilst out and about. Rarely will a single application get you through the entire day; follow the directions on the bottle carefully to get an accurate reading on the application schedule you should be following.
Make sure you’re both UVA and UVB protected
Some brands of tanning cream don’t provide full protection against the sun’s rays. Make sure your sunscreen offers adequate UV defences for all your needs.
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