When there's no shade around, the best way to protect your skin from the sun is with loose clothing, a wide-brimmed hat and good quality sunglasses

What to look for
The more skin covered by your clothing, the better the protection. Look for materials with a close weave, as they will block out the most UV rays. Holding the material up to the light is a good way to see how much light and UV rays will get through. Natural fibres such as linen and cotton are cooler, especially when they're loose fitting.

Be aware that when clothing gets wet it stretches and allows more UV rays through to your skin. For T-shirt material, the protection can be halved when wet.

Don't forget your hat and sunglasses
Hats are great for protecting the face, eyes and head (especially if you happen to be thin on top). A wide-brimmed hat can reduce the UV radiation reaching your face and eyes by over 50 per cent. Long term exposure of eyes to the sun increases your risk of skin cancer of the eyelids and around the eyes.

When choosing sunglasses look for one of the following: