There’s no question that sunscreen helps protect you from
skin cancer. But the bigger question is, how much is enough?
How do you know if you are putting on enough sunscreen,
without wasting it? Or how often do you need to reapply, especially if you are
sweating or swimming?
Recommended amount
One teaspoon (5ml) for each body part: one teaspoon for your
face (including neck and ears) and another teaspoon for each arm, leg, body
front and body back. So that’s around seven teaspoons, or 35ml all up.
Top tips to make sure the sunscreen works
- Your skin should be clean and
dry. If you have been swimming, or have sand on your skin from the beach, wash
and dry yourself first.
- Thoroughly rub the sunscreen into
your skin.
- Remember the tricky spots,
especially the top of your ears, your scalp and the top of your forehead, where
your hat often rubs against your skin.
- Wait 20 minutes before going into
the sun to allow the sunscreen to bind properly to the skin.
- Cancer Council recommends reapplying
20-30 minutes AFTER you have been in the sun, a bit like a second coat of
paint.
- Reapply at least every two hours
and directly after swimming, sport, sweating or towel drying. Sunscreens
labelled as water resistant are tested to be effective for up to 40 minutes of
swimming, so it’s best to reapply these too.
- Check the use-by date on your
bottle of sunscreen. If it is out of date, it will not be as effective.
- Make sure your sunscreen is
stored below 30 degrees Celsius and out of direct sunlight. Keeping your
sunscreen in your car glovebox in summer will reduce its effectiveness.
And of course, try to stay out of the sun altogether between
10am and 4pm in summer if you possibly can. In all seasons, check the UV levels
in your area. A good weather app will often include the UV forecast.
Remember, sunscreen is your last line of defence. No
sunscreen is 100% effective against the UV radiation that causes skin cancer.
It is not just Slip Slop Slap; it is Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek,
Slide. Slip on a shirt, slop on sunscreen, slap on a hat, seek shade and slide
on some sunglasses.