Slop it on often, even when indoors

A little bit of glass won’t protect you from the sun’s damage, writes Sophia Phan.

Every day before school, my mum would spray my body twice: once with insect repellent, once with sunscreen. I hated it, but she was on to something. ‘‘There is good evidence that regular application of sun protection helps minimise the development of skin cancer,’’ says Dr Deshan Sebaratnam, consultant dermatologist and conjoint senior lecturer at Australia’s University of New South Wales.

‘‘In addition to damaging DNA, which leads to the development of cancer, UV irradiation also contributes to damage to collagen, and elastic fibres, which leads to ageing.’’

I used to think sunscreen was only necessary if you were at the beach. But now I apply it a few times a day – and I’m indoors most of the time.

You should be applying sunscreen whenever the UV level is above 3, and reapplying frequently: Every two hours if you are outdoors, or 20 minutes before you step outside.

It is even necessary if you’re inside. I sit next to a large window, so I wear sunscreen at work because UVA radiation has a long wavelength, which can penetrate through the glass.

Sebaratnam says a SPF50+ broad-spectrum that protects against UVA and UVB rays is best.

But there are so many sunscreens on the market, from stick sunscreens such as the Hunter Lab SPF 50+ Facial Sunscreen, to oil-based sunscreens such as Mesoestetic Mesoprotech Nourishing Anti-aging Oil, how do you choose something to slap on your face every day?

I prefer chemical sunscreens, which absorb UV rays (as opposed to physical sunscreens, which reflect them).

You may need to reapply sunscreen throughout the day, even if you are working.

My current favourites are the Mecca To Save Face 50+ and the Ultra Violette Supreme Screen for their moisturiser-like texture. Both absorb beautifully into the skin.

Sunscreens should be applied as the last step in your skincare routine, but when they’re as nourishing as these, I just use them in place of face cream. They’re also great as primers.

Functionality is a key factor when formulating, says Rebecca Jefferd, co-founder of Ultra Violette, which comes in formulations for different skin types.

‘‘The easier we could make it for people, the more people would be wearing sunscreen every single day, which is our ultimate goal,’’ she says.

If my tinted moisturiser or foundation for the day has inbuilt SPF, I still make sure to apply sunscreen before. The cosmetic product itself will not protect your skin.

‘‘The SPF of a product is determined according to an internationally agreed upon application thickness of two milligrams per centimetresquared. The issue with using a moisturiser [or] cosmetic product is that, while it may be labelled SPF30, SPF50 etc, it is often not applied thickly enough to offer adequate sun protection,’’ says Sebaratnam.

I like to apply a SPF 50+ before I get to the office and then top it up throughout the day. I haven’t found the perfect method just yet – applying sunscreen on top of makeup is tricky. At the moment, I use Tarte’s Tarteguard 30 Mineral Powder Sunscreen Broad Spectrum SPF 30 or the previously mentioned sunscreens with Innisfree’s Air Magic Puff, gently pushing in the sunscreen.

I also like to keep a facial spray sunscreen on my desk and a body sunscreen in my work bag, just in case.

Ava Matthews, the other co-founder of Ultra Violette, says the brand is looking at creating a product to make it easier to reapply sunscreen without removing makeup, but recommends a method promoted by ‘‘skinfluencer’’ Hannah English. She reapplies Ultra Violette’s serum-like sunscreen with a beauty blender.

But, while it’s easy to focus on facial skincare, don’t forget about the other parts of your body.

‘‘Skin cancer can develop anywhere on the body,’’ says Sebaratnam.

‘‘Sun-exposed areas are at higher risk, but people can develop skin cancer in the back of their eye, the bottom of their feet, or their genitals – areas which don’t see too much sun!’’

My favourite non-facial sunscreens include: Cancer Council Active Sunscreen SPF50+ (I go through so much of this stuff I always get the pump version), Sun Bum SPF 50+ Sunscreen Lotion, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Face & Body Dry Touch Sunscreen Lotion SPF50. As part of its Christmas offering, Mecca also has its Sun Essentials set, which comes with face, body and lip protection.

– Sydney Morning Herald