Sun Awareness Week is 9 – 15 May, and considering the heatwave we’ve had recently, it’s come in perfect time.
The British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) run the annual campaign to raise awareness of skin cancer, and have recently revealed some scary results about our sunscreen habits.
The survey revealed that eight out of ten people fail to adequately apply sunscreen before going out in the sun, and 70% of us fail to reapply every two hours as recommended.
Other bad habits which came to light was that 35% of people sought out shade if they were hot, rather than avoid burning by not applying sun cream.
Skin cancer is the most common cancer in the UK and every year over 250,000 new cases of non-melanoma (most common type) were diagnosed, in addition to over 13,000 new cases of melanoma; resulting in over 2,000 deaths annually.
Seena Seka, a skincare specialist at Calypso sun care has provided his top five summer tips to make sure you’re fully protected for the summer.
Don’t bake your sunscreen
Most people are guilty of leaving their sun lotion baking in their beach bag, however, extreme heat exposure can reduce the potency of sunscreen’s active ingredients, so you should treat your bottle like you would any medication and store in a cool or room temperature place. Alternatively, invest in a sun lotion that can last all day long or purchase a small coolant box as storage for the beach.
Head to Toe - Places NOT to forget
When applying sun lotion we tend to forget the scalp, hairline and ears - especially if we are blessed with a full head of hair - assuming that this will act as a barrier. This is not necessarily the case, so to ensure no embarrassing red or inflamed scalp burns, apply sun spray to these areas generously, or look for specialist non-greasy.
Play safe, don’t reuse old sunscreen
We all like to save, but re-using old sun lotion can leave you exposed to sun damage, due to the ingredients consistency splitting over time. This causes uneven coverage when applied, so pay attention to the expiration date, and discard the product if necessary. Check the little tub symbol on the back of the bottle - the number inside is the amount of months after opening you can still use the product. Most sunscreens won't last year on year.
You can also look for physical signs, like a change in colour or smell, to see if your sunscreen is still usable. If it looks, feels, or smells odd, it’s time to purchase a fresh bottle.
Sun bathing at night?
Yes, this may sound strange but you can still keep tanning long after the sun has gone down or simply when it’s hiding behind a cloud, 80% of UV radiation is still present, so it is vital to apply cream all day long to ensure you’re well protected.
You need at least 35ml of sun cream to ensure you cover your entire body and receive the correct level of protection - reducing this quantity will leave you more exposed to skin damage.
Attention seeker
We all like to look and smell nice on holiday but we often overlook the unwanted attention this can create. Sweet smells can invite undesirable guests with insect bites being a common cause of minor skin irritations, so it’s always worth applying insect repellent.
A common myth is that insect repellent should be applied during the night, however it is essential to apply all day long to ensure complete protection. We recommend using an after sun that contains insect repellent at night to tick two boxes.
Tanning oil fanatic? Know the facts...
We would all love a tan, but is it really worth the risk of skin cancer?
If you’re really keen to get bronzed this summer, make sure you pick an oil which protect you at the same time…
Seena Seka, who is also Chief Chemist at Calypso sun care commented on the difference between tanning oil and sun cream saying "the main difference between them is the texture of the product.
“A tanning oil spreads more easy and can define and shimmer the body whereas a sun cream or lotion is more accurate in terms of application and some find it less messy.”
So, if you are planning to use tanning oil, Seena says they are generally safe as long as there is enough sun filter ingredients within the product to protect you from harmful UVA and UVB rays – which are seen on the product packaging. Some tanning oils only cover one ray type, so you are not fully protected.
“Generally, we always recommend SPF15 or higher to ensure as you’re protected in the sun, regular reapplications and staying out the sun completely during peak times,” he said.
You might also want to read:
Brave skin cancer victim shares shocking selfie to warn about risk of using sunbeds
Sam Faiers warns over sunbed skin cancer dangers: ‘It’s important young people are aware’
Hollyoaks star Terri Dwyer speaks out about skin cancer battle: 'I've had a lucky escape'