Sitting in her London garden last weekend, on the first sunny day she’d been free to enjoy this year, Claire luxuriated in the feeling of warmth on her skin.
On holidays abroad, she’s meticulous at applying sunscreen. But with the forecast around 21 degrees, she went without. “It was April. I didn’t think it was hot enough for it – the air still felt cool,” she says. Even when her chest started feeling hot, it didn’t register it could be burning. “After a few hours it was bright red. I had a burn line in the roll of my stomach and had to cover my chest for the rest of the weekend. I felt so silly, and realised I make this mistake every year.”
She won’t be the only one, especially as temperatures are expected to reach 24 degrees in some parts of the UK this week. The first sprinkling of spring sunshine has a dizzying effect, driving many of us to soak up the rays, with none of the caution we would exercise on holiday or in high summer. As Claire puts it: “For some reason it feels like the UK sun can’t possibly really burn you. Or maybe I subconsciously fear it could be the one day of sun in weeks, and I don’t want to miss the opportunity.”
The phenomenon is one experts recognise in the sun-starved British public, our skin particularly susceptible to burning when it’s been buried under layers all winter. As our summers get hotter due to climate change, it’s easier than ever to get caught out. “People associate sunscreen with holiday. Even the smell makes you think of lying on a beach and you don’t have that automatic association in the UK in spring. I’ve seen people looking awfully red,” says Dr Tina Tian, consultant dermatologist at Oxford’s Stratum Dermatology Clinic. So just how risky is the sun at this time of year? And what should we be doing to protect ourselves?
The UX Index, not the temperature, tells you how likely you are to burn
“It’s very common for people to think your risk of burning comes from temperature,” says Dr Sidra Khan, consultant dermatologist and spokesperson for the British Skin Foundation. In fact, it comes from UV exposure – the amount of ultraviolet radiation from the sun that reaches your skin.
“Around this time of year, the UV index starts to climb very quickly, but it doesn’t feel hot. We still have a cool breeze. There’s still a bit of cloud cover,” adds Khan. Even on a daily basis, the temperature lags behind UV levels, which peak between late morning and early afternoon, so when it feels relatively cool at 9am you could still be getting “significant” UV exposure, stresses Tian. Finding out your local UV Index, which goes from zero to over 15 in the hottest countries but in the UK rarely exceeds nine, is easy on an iPhone – simply open your weather app and scroll down. It’s also available on Google’s weather app, and Tian asks Amazon’s Alexa for hers. “If it’s three and above you need to pop on sunscreen,” says Khan.
Beware the tops of your feet and consider covering arms and legs
Khan says part of the problem in spring is that, after months of being indoors, “I don’t think our (sun protection) habits have quite kicked in.” Particularly at risk of burning, are parts of the body we accidentally miss or forget about, she says, such as “backs of ears, necks, tops of heads for people who may have less hair. Common, especially in children, is the tops of feet and toes.” Tian warns against our compulsion to strip to shorts and vests at that “first glimmer of sunshine”, increasing the risk of skin cancers such as squamous cell carcinoma, linked to long-term all-over skin exposure, which “can go to other organs, invade and metastasise, and kill you. A lot of people are not wearing long sleeves and trousers that would give more cover”.
Many skin cancer patients are over 70 and grew up when sunscreen “wasn’t a thing and people used to lather themselves with oil”, she says. Younger generations understand the damaging effects of the sun, she believes, but are still susceptible. “Last year, I remember seeing (videos) on TikTok about getting a tan mark, even on sunbeds. I think we’re getting a second peak where people are aware, but succumbing to social media pressures.”
So should we all be wearing sunscreen all day?
Not necessarily, although Tian concedes dermatologists’ views “differ”. For wellbeing and health – sunshine is instrumental in the production of Vitamin D – she suggests going without very briefly early in the morning and late in the evening. “Five minutes will do it.”
Between 10am and 5pm, she says, “you really should be covering up and wearing sunscreen”. For protection against sun-related ageing, she advises wearing sunscreen all year round – as she does. “It’s all about cumulative exposure. Even smidgeons add up.” To protect against skin cancer, she recommends it “from April to October inclusive”.
What if you’re an office worker, stuck inside – do you really need to slather it on at the start of every day? “Probably not,” says Khan. But “if you’re outdoors and exposed to sunlight, you should be reapplying every two hours. By the time your skin has developed a tan the damage has been done.”
You still have to reapply if you’ve been sitting indoors all morning
Just because you’ve been inside since you applied sunscreen in the morning doesn’t mean you don’t have to reapply at lunch if you’re going outdoors, says Tian. “People think the sun degrades your sunscreen. That’s a common misconception.” In fact, sweat, the skin’s oil production and the friction of accidentally touching your face are “all breaking down your sunscreen barrier,” she says.
“So instead of having a continuous layer you’ve got a lacy kind of protection.” For this reason she recommends a waterproof sunscreen, whether you’re planning to get wet or not. “Waterproof sunscreens last longer and maintain a continuous film.”
Look for UV protection as well as SPF rating
Another mistake people make is underestimating the importance of UVA rating when buying sunscreen, says Tian. “They look at SPF and think ‘50, I’m not going to burn.’” While UVB rays cause most sunburn, UVA rays cause “silent, deeper damage,” she says. In the UK, sunscreens have a five-star rating, with five the maximum protection against UVA rays. “You want a minimum of four star,” says Tian, who believes it more helpful to see UV rays “collectively, as a whole.
“We’ve been taught to segregate these – UVB is burning, UVA is ageing. But they both cause burning, skin cancer, ageing.” She suggests buying SPF50 to allow for failures in application – even the most meticulous are unlikely to apply it perfectly, so are “probably only getting an SPF25” and are unlikely to apply it every two hours as directed, “so in a couple of hours your sunscreen factor is probably down to 10.”
Khan recommends a minimum of SPF30. “If you’re prone to burning, go for SPF50,” she says, “but I would caveat by saying SPF30s generally are cosmetically easier to wear, so if you find an SPF30 you like and can wear throughout the day it will be far better than a poorly applied SPF50.”
You don’t need to spend a fortune
When it comes to sunscreen, Tian really doesn’t think people should be spending loads of money. Some cheaper brands “might sting a bit more and might make your shirt collars yellow” but they will still protect your skin, she says. “It really is about finding one in the middle ground.”
She recommends Boots Soltan Sensitive & Sun Allergy Protect range for her patients with sensitive skin and, although she has no problem with people wearing sunscreen for body on their face, wears the specifically designed Riemann’s P20 Urban Shield (£14.50, 50ml, Boots) on hers.
“I love the P20 range. They are the most water-resistant. And they have high UVA protection.” Khan says La Roche-Posay Anthelios UVMune range is “nice to wear” and offers good protection – its SPF50+ Face & Body Hydrating Milk, 150ml, is £19.20. Like Tian, she also recommends Altruist, developed by dermatologist and skin cancer surgeon Dr Andrew Birnie. Altruist’s 250ml SPF50 family sunspray is £12.50. “I use it on myself, but also my kids,” says Khan.
“What I love is they make sunscreen affordable. It’s a health necessity. It shouldn’t be expensive.” In fact, spending more can be counterproductive, she warns. “If you’ve got a gorgeous formulation but it’s very expensive you’re going to use it sparingly.”