Safe in the sun

• Chemical sunblocks, which reflect or scatter the sun’s rays
• Chemical sunscreens, which absorb ultraviolet light (UV)

A recent Consumers’ Association report found that buying name brand suncreams was prohibitively expensive – as much as £60 per person for a week’s holiday. Switching to store brands, for instance those produced by Tesco, Boots, Superdrug and other reputable companies can cut the cost of sun protection by almost half. However, avoid buying cheap, unknown brands as these may have misleading SPF figures.

Go for a minimum SPF 15

And for younger children consider higher factors such as SPF 30. The Consumer’s Association report found that kids’ formulas (which are often more expensive) are no more effective than regular high SPF products.

Use suncreams liberally and often. Try to apply the cream half an hour before going outside to give it a chance to soak in.

The sun produces three types of UV radiation – A, B and C.

The SPF factor in your sun cream is for UVB protection only.

• Most UVB rays are filtered out by the ozone layer. The rest stimulate the skin to produce melanin, our natural defence against UV. For most people, however, the body can’t produce enough melanin if exposed to the sun for a long time, hence the need for protection.
• UVC is completely absorbed by the atmosphere before it reaches the earth.
• UVA rays are not filtered out by the ozone layer. They penetrate the skin at a deeper level than UVB, causing greater damage.

Gauging UVA protection is difficult, though most brands now put UVA information on their labels. Look for the star rating on the back of the bottle. It will be graded from one to four stars - four stars offers the best protection.