Have you ever said to yourself that your current sunscreen is rubbish because you have had sunburn? ….Well I have used that as an excuse. In fact it may be because you aren’t applying it correctly. The SPF factor stated on your bottle is measured on people when they apply the sunscreen at a level of 2 mg/cm2. It might not sound like a lot but in actual fact it’s a shot glass of sunscreen applied to cover an average person each time. That means a average bottle of 200ml would only last for 10-11 applications!
There are studies in Australia on how people apply their sunscreens that have resulted in calls for changes in the way SPF is measured. They would like to see it being measured using closer to the actual amount the average person applies. This would almost certainly lead to much lower SPF values on bottles! This is something I would love to see. It might kick me into applying enough sunscreen. This is one reason I love UPF clothing I don’t need to bother on those bits of my body.
You are supposed to apply sunscreen 20mins before leaving the house, then 20 minutes later to cover any patches you missed and ensuring an even coverage.
You should reapply every 2 hours or immediately after swimming, vigorous towel drying and any activities that result in sweating…that’s everything in Bermuda’s summer then!
Every skin cancer site recommends the best way of preventing sun damage is to cover up during the times of the day the UV index is at its peak. 10-4pm. Sunscreen is never their first recommendation. So please take care of your self and your family think of those people who work outside in the sun. Be safe folks!