Sun care tips for your family

Protect your family with products best suited to their skin types.

road to ruin

Sun-kissed skin may look nice, but you’ll pay for it in years to come with wrinkles, brown spots, reddening, sagging and possibly even skin cancer. While UVB rays burn, the long-term damage is done by UVA rays that are present even when it’s cloudy. The dangerous days are the beautiful bright ones with high cloud, and if you’re on the beach, the reflection makes them even more harmful.

Action plan

1) Use an SPF 30+ broad-spectrum sunscreen half an hour before sun exposure, then reapply every two hours. Apply a golf ball-sized amount for the body and two pea-sized blobs for the face

2) Layer SPF products. It won’t provide more protection, but will increase your chances of getting proper coverage, so tinted moisturisers and foundations with SPF are worth using.

3) Don’t overestimate the amount of time sun cream will keep you shielded. An SPF 30 won’t give twice the protection of an SPF 15, only four percent more.

4) Don’t rely on sunblock.Clothes made from tightly woven fabrics, wide-brimmed hats, parasols and sunglasses all provide protection.

Which sunscreen?

• Synthetic sunscreens are designed to absorb or scatter the sun’s rays.

• Natural ones are based on the minerals zinc oxide and/or titanium oxide and work by forming a barrier.

• Zinc is the gentlest choice for sensitive skins.

• Sprays are ideal for oily and hairy skin, as well as kids, but be careful when applying, as it’s easy to miss bits.

• Lotions and creams can supply moisturising benefits.

• There is a wide range of face sun creams, formulated with antioxidants and vitamins to help defend skin from free radical damage.

5 products to try:

Neutrogena Beach Defence Water + Sun Barrier Spray SPF 50 $24.99 – designed to form a barrier to protect skin from the sun.

Surf Life Saving Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50 $12.99 – free of fragrance and parabens, this non-greasy cream is brilliant for families, plus $1 for each one sold goes to Surf Life Saving New Zealand.

Invisible Zinc Environmental Skin Protector SPF 30 $29.99 – a natural mineral-based sunscreen/moisturiser that creates a barrier to protect from environmental pollutants and UV.