Research from the Cancer Council shows that around half of Australians are confused and misinformed when it comes to sun protection – an alarming 45% are unaware that sunscreen is safe for daily use, while an additional 20% think sunscreen use will lead to a lack of Vitamin D.
So with summer holidays well underway and the forecast looking sunny, it’s never been more important to brush up on our sun safety knowledge, to keep ourselves and our kids protected.
Myth: You won’t get burnt on a cloudy or cool day
False: You can definitely still get sunburnt on an overcast, cold or cloudy day. This is because sun damage isn’t caused by direct sunlight or temperature, but by UV radiation. The best way to understand the UV risk is by checking your phone’s weather app, or the Bureau of Meteorology. If the UV Index is listed as 3 or above, you should definitely practise careful sun protection.
Myth: If you don’t usually burn, you don’t need to worry about sunscreen
False: This is a particularly common rumour when it comes to sun protection. No matter how infrequently we burn, it’s important that we don’t take this as a sign of immunity against the sun. Always slip, slop, slap.
Myth: Sunscreen never expires
False: Many of us are guilty of stock piling old tubes of half-used sunscreen at the back of our bathroom vanity, and fishing them out again every summer. Luckily sunscreen doesn’t expire right?
Unfortunately, this is a myth – sunscreen does expire. The ingredients in sunscreen can break down over time, resulting in an ineffective product that is unable to protect us from harmful UV rays. Be sure to check the expiry date of your sun protection products regularly and throw out any that have expired – just don’t forget to repurchase!
Opt for brands that offer a variety product sizes so you can purchase according to your usage and avoid wastage. Chemists’ Own Dry Touch Sunscreen SPF 50 comes in a standard 200ml tube as well as a smaller 75ml bottle with a handy key chain, so you can easily clip it to your bag, keys or bike for convenience (especially helpful if you’ve got your hands full with kids!).
Myth: Clothing provides better sun protection than sunscreen
True: While sunscreen does a great job at providing protection, unfortunately the UV barrier it creates isn’t invincible and can be compromised by things like sweat or water. For maximum sun protection, layer over your sunscreen with a long sleeve top and a wide brim hat, and seek shade where possible.
If you tend to spend a lot of time in the sun, consider UV protective clothing like Uniqlo’s UV Protection activewear range or Solbari’s range of stylish UV resistant clothing for work, sport, or casual day wear.
Myth: You can’t get sunburnt while wearing sunscreen
False: This one of the most common myths and it’s easy to understand why – isn’t the whole point of sunscreen to protect our skin from sun damage? Unfortunately, though, sunscreen isn’t entirely fool-proof so it’s important to use it correctly and take extra precautions.
Apply liberally to all parts of the body and make sure to re-apply regularly. The reason re-application is so vital is due to the SPF level listed on the bottle. The SPF level indicates how long it will take the sun’s UV radiation to redden you skin, compared to the amount of time it would take if you were wearing no sunscreen.
When wearing SPF 30, this indicates it will take roughly 30 times longer for your skin to redden, compared to wearing no sunscreen at all. The takeaway from this is no matter how much you lather yourself in sunscreen, unfortunately you always risk a level of sun damage when exposing yourself to UV radiation.
Myth: You can get burnt through a car window
True: If the glass of your car’s windows is untinted, it is very much possible to get sunburnt. However, while tinted glass can reduce the UV radiation, it is unable to prevent this completely – so if you’ve got a long car trip on a sunny day, remember to lather on the SPF. And if you don’t have them already, grab a set of car window shades like those from Trokot, which protect passengers from not only UVA and UVB, but also heat, glare, and insects.
