Sun skin care chat with Dr Sarah Brewer

Reapply regularly, according to instructions, or at least every hour and after swimming. If you can feel yourself burning, then cover up or get out of the sun. An SPF factor can only protect you for so long (e.g. if you usually burn within ten minutes, an SPF of 15 will help stop you burning for up to 150 minutes) but after this length of time you will still burn, however much cream you reapply.

Therefore be sensible and limit your exposure.

Is it true that you shouldn't wear less than a factor 15 sunscreen and that any sunscreens over factor 30 will not give you any more protection than a 30?
Kirstin

Sunscreens are rated according to their sun protection factor (SPF), which shows how effective they are at filtering ultraviolet-B rays. SPF ratings range from 2 to over 45, and are worked out according to the length of time skin covered with sunscreen takes to burn compared to unprotected skin.

If you turn red after ten minutes in the sun, an SPF15 screen would allow you to stay out 15 times longer - i.e. 150 minutes. Higher SPFs do not give proportionately greater protection. An SPF15 gives 93 per cent protection, for example, while an SPF34 gives 97 per cent protection. I would always use at least an SPF16 (this is the advice from skin cancer experts) and for children consider using much higher - or a total sunblock.

Do people with black and Asian skin tones have to use the same sun protection products as those with Caucasian skins - or can they get away with being a little bit less vigilant?
Roni

SPFs add on to the natural level of protection you have from your skin. Those with darker skin tones will burn less quickly than those with lighter skin tones, but can still burn eventually. If you have light skin and normally burn after ten minutes in the sun, using SPF16 means you will have some protection against burning for up to 160 minutes. If you have a darker skin, and don't burn until after 30 minutes in the sun, the same SPF16 will provide some protection for up to 30 x 16 = 8 hours. You would still start to burn eventually, however.

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