Sun Awareness Week runs from the 6th May to the 12th May this year, and its primary aim is to raise awareness of the dangers of long exposure to the sun; as well as promote best safety practices to heed when you’re spending time outside this summer.
We all know that we should protect our sun against UV rays, but do we know the lengths we need to go to in order to remain entirely safeguarded? Shamir Patel, a well-known pharmacist and the director of online pharmaceutical company Chemist 4 U, informs that actually you should be wearing some form of SPF every single day.
“Whatever the weather, you should actually wear some form of SPF every single day and especially on your face. Most makeup now contains a level of SPF for this reason.” Shamir explains.
“Though it’s not commonly known, your skin should actually be protected against the sun on a day in, day out basis as leaving it exposed can cause premature ageing, as well as other implications associated with UV rays. UV rays can also enter rooms and penetrate windows, so don’t be fooled into thinking that if you’re inside for a large part of the day that you should be exempt from the rule of wearing SPF every day.”
“Your skin tone will play an important part in deciding which SPF to wear not only every day, but during times of increased sun exposure too. If you have naturally pale skin and freckles, for example, you should be wearing at least factor 30 SPF every day, and up to factor 50 SPF during times where you’ll be in direct sunlight.”
“Those with more melanin in their skin, usually Asian or black skin, should find that SPF of around 15 will be sufficient as their skin is more protected from UV rays. This should increase to at least 30 SPF when in the sun for a prolonged period of time.”
“It’s absolutely fundamental to ensure you’re wearing suncream and even more so when you’re in direct heat during the warmer months. Going without protection (especially as the temperature really increases) will significantly increase your risk of burning – whatever your skin type – which can put you at substantial risk of skin cancer and premature skin ageing.”
Luckily, he also provides some insight into how you can get used to wearing SPF daily. (As it’s well recognised that it’s not necessarily normal for us to be slapping on the sun cream every morning, especially when it’s cold outside!).
“To get used to wearing sun protection daily, it’s worth choosing makeup products and moisturisers that contain SPF. And when you’re in a warmer climate and are more subject to exposure to the sun, you should incorporate using a higher SPF sunblock into your morning routine before heading out for the day. Remember, you should always apply suncream at least 30 minutes before heading outside, and should re-apply every 2 hours.” Mr Patel advises.
Continuing with the advice, there are also some more points to bear in mind when it comes to sun protection that Shamir provides. And what better a time to raise awareness of these points than Sun Awareness Week?
Get Shady
“You should ideally be spending most, if not all, of your time in the shade between 11am and 3pm. This is when the sun is at it’s hottest, and it most likely to burn you.”
Use At Least SPF 15
“Though there are sun creams and oils that go as low as SPF 8, I would never recommend using anything lower than SPF 15. SPF multiplies the time you can spend in the sun without burning, anything less than 15 doesn’t give you much protection at all.”
Say No To The Burn
“If you feel yourself burning, head inside immediately,” Shamir warns.
“Burning can sometimes cause irreversible damage and can sometimes be disguised as tanned skin also. If your skin feels too hot to the touch and is starting to redden, it’s time to head to the shade to avoid any prolonged damage.”
Layer With Shades And Clothing
“When it gets really warm, it can be tempting to expose more and more of your skin to the sun. However, doing so leaves parts of your body that aren’t always used to UV rays unprotected. As such, you should try and layer up on loose clothing where you can. And try and use sunglasses also, as your eyes can also be damaged by UV rays too.”
NEVER Peel Sunburnt Skin
“And finally, if you do burn, then you should take action immediately.”
“Lather up on aftersun lotion and keep out of the sun entirely until your skin has recovered. Adding to this, you should NEVER peel sunburnt skin. Peeling usually occurs when your skin has suffered significant damage from the sun, and this is your body’s way of removing damaged cells. Therefore, you need to let the skin run its course and repair itself.”