Suncreams

Why is Melanoma Focus campaigning to remove the VAT from sunscreens?

Melanoma Focus is calling on the Government to remove the Value Added Tax (VAT) for high-factor (30+) sunscreens to reduce the cost of this vital product for the general population, making it more accessible to those who cannot afford it.

Our 2023 research found that 67% of all respondents would use sunscreen more if it was 20% cheaper and worryingly, 1 in 10 people aren’t wearing sunscreen at all because it is too expensive. People on the very lowest incomes are less likely to wear sunscreen than any other economic group

The unaffordability of sunscreen is therefore a big concern.

Click here to find out more about the campaign & how you can get involved

What does the UV Index mean?

The UV index tells you how strong the sun’s UV rays will be; the higher the UV index, the greater the strength of the sun’s UV rays and the more likely you will burn.

The Met Office forecast uses the UV index to warn you of an increased risk to health from UK radiation.

When the UV Index is Moderate (3 or above) wear sunscreen.

The ‘Solar UV Index’ was developed by the World Health Organization. The Met Office UV forecasts include the effects of:

• the position of the sun in the sky
• forecast cloud cover
• ozone amounts in the stratosphere

Find out the UV index of your local area

What does SPF mean?

SPF or Sun Protection Factor is worked out under lab conditions to give an indication of how much protection a sun cream can offer.

The following equation is used:

Minutes to burn without sunscreen x SPF number = maximum sun exposure time

So if you would burn without sun protection in 10 minutes and you applied a factor 30 protection, you could theoretically be protected for up to 300 minutes.

BUT, it’s important to remember that lots of factors can affect how long your sun cream will protect you for. Sweating, swimming, clothes rubbing on your skin, your skin type and strength of the sun will all reduce your protection.

It’s also important to remember that laboratory tests are different to real world use; most people won’t apply sun cream as liberally or regularly as scientists do when testing sun creams. The SPF rating is simply a guide to the strength of protection and should not be taken literally to mean how much longer you can stay in the sun without burning. What’s most important is to apply the sunscreen generously and uniformly and to reapply every 2 hours.

What’s the difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50?

Interestingly, SPF50 offers only marginally better protection from UV radiation than SPF30 filtering out 98 per cent of UV radiation compared to 96.7 per cent blocked by SPF30.

Using SPF50 is not a substitute for applying sun cream less frequently.  SPF50 sunscreen still needs to be applied as liberally, re-applied every two hours (or after swimming, exercising and towel drying) and used in combination with other sun protection measures including sun protective hats, protective clothing, sunglasses and shade.

What’s the difference between a chemical and a mineral sunscreen?

A chemical or organic sunscreen contains active ingredients that protect your skin by absorbing the sun’s rays and causing it to undergo a chemical reaction that prevents it from damaging your skin. Most sun creams are chemical and you can check the active ingredients listed on the bottle. Physical or mineral sunscreens are usually hypoallergenic and may be a safer choice for people with sensitive skin. Physical or inorganic sunscreens protect your skin by deflecting the sun’s rays. These contain ingredients such as zinc oxide or titanium dioxide.

People with certain skin conditions, such as eczema, may find that some sunscreens can cause irritation or flare-ups. Finding the right product can sometimes be a process of trial and error, so it’s often a good idea to start with a small bottle to test.

Here are a few tips that may help you:

• Choose a fragrance-free sunscreen.
• Opt for a cream formulation rather than an aerosol spray.
• Use a mineral sunscreen (those containing titanium dioxide or zinc oxide) to deflect UV radiation
• Avoid rubbing in sunscreen, as this may trigger itchiness. Apply it in smooth, downward strokes, as you would apply an emollient.
• Aim to use your emollient about half an hour before putting on your sunscreen.

What is the best sun cream?

Our sun safety ambassador, Jaime Nobbs, says the best sun cream is the one you will actually use!
You might have a preference based on the smell, texture, ingredients or price, it doesn’t matter as long as you apply the correct amount of broad spectrum SPF 30+ every two hours.

See our video ‘Staying Safe in the Sun’ below for more information.

How much sun cream should I apply?

Our sun safety ambassador also recommends a shot glass full for your entire body or a teaspoon per body part i.e arms, legs, trunk and face.

Once daily sun creams:

We recommend that you do not use sun creams that claims to only need one daily application e.g ‘once a day sun cream’. These types of sun creams have been tested in controlled laboratory conditions, using more sunscreen than the typical person would use where certain factors that effect sun protection such as swimming, exercising and sweating have not been taken into account. Notably, in Australia sun cream manufacturers are not allowed to make ‘once a day’ claims and their restricted sun safety rules means that they cannot sell products that do not promote the reapplication of sun cream. Similarly, once daily sun creams should not be used on children attending school in order to avoid reapplication.

Can I use sun cream on a tanning bed?

In the same way sun cream protects you from harmful UVA and UVB rays omitted by the sun, it would also protect you from some of the harmful UV rays emitted by a sunbed. For this reason, sunbed users don’t wear sun cream, as it would prevent tanning. This contributes to making sunbeds a major cause of melanoma and we strongly advise against their use.

Melanoma Focus advises against the use of sunbeds by the general public. Find out more about sunbeds and melanoma.

Sun cream for babies and children

Protecting children from the sun helps prevent melanoma later in life. Ideally, babies and young children should stay in the shade, and wear loose, cool clothing when it is hot.

Babies under 6 months:

Newborn babies have very delicate skin and the NHS recommends they should be kept out of direct sunlight until they are at least 6 months old.

Babies over 6 months and children:

You can buy sun creams specifically made for children. These tend to be higher factor and fragrance free, to avoid irritating their delicate skin. You can also find sun creams designed to make application on wriggly children a little easier, such as roll-ons, sprays and brightly coloured lotions to make it easier to see if you’ve missed a spot.

Tips for Application:

We know that applying sun cream to young children can be a tricky task, here are some useful tips to help this process:

Make it fun & distract them: Draw patterns, letters or their name on their skin and ask them to guess what it is before getting them to rub the sun cream in. You could also sing a song with them, listen to music or watch the television whilst applying the sun cream.