Back to basics
First, chemical versus mineral sunscreens:
what’s the difference? “A chemical suncream
works by converting UV light energy into
heat energy and absorbing it, while mineral
suncreams — titanium dioxide , zinc oxide
and iron oxide — work by reflecting light and
heat away from skin,” says Dr Justine Hextall,
a consultant dermatologist. So is one better
than the other? Chemical sunscreens can
have water or gel-like textures that melt into
skin easily. “They tend to be lighter,” says Dr
Jason Thomson, head of medical at Skin + Me
Skincare. Sensitive skin types may prefer a
mineral sunscreen as they “are more stable,
meaning less preservatives”, Thomson says.
Hextall also notes: “There is some evidence
that mineral formulations are better at
protecting against longer wavelengths and
visible light that are often implicated in
pigmentation disorders such as melasma.”As for the SPF, aim high. The British Skin
Foundation’s advice is to pick a broad-
spectrum sunscreen with at least factor 30
and a four or five-star UVA rating. Hextall
says that when it comes to the SPF, you may
as well opt for 50. “Most of us actually apply
half the amount of product required to meet
the given SPF, meaning it is half the
protection, so factor 50 becomes 25.”How to get
great coverage
More is more when it comes to applying sun
protection. The consultant dermatologist Dr
Zainab Laftah recommends applying literally
head to toe, paying special attention to the
following commonly neglected areas.Back This is one of the trickiest areas to reach
and consequently one of the most common
areas for melanomas to develop, especially in
men. Try an applicator like Skinny Tan Fake
Tan Back Applicator ( 1 £12). Apply a liberal
amount of sunscreen to the centre of the
applicator and then, holding the handles,
glide over the areas you can’t reach.Neck and chest Hextall says she often sees
patients with sun damage here “as we forget
to apply SPF to these vulnerable areas that
have chronic UV exposure”. Apply
suncream generously and don’t forget the
back of the neck as well as the front. Top up
with spray for extra protection.Stomach “Winter skin is much more
vulnerable and prone to sunburn,” says
Hextall, so if you’re jetting off on your firstholiday of the year, don’t forget areas like
your tummy that are often hidden from
UV until you hit the beach.Hands According to the cosmetic doctor
Catharine Denning, it’s the hands that most
people forget: “Pigmented, textured hands
are a common reason for people to seek
anti-ageing treatments in my clinic. An easy
way to prevent this is to wear sunscreen on
your hands every day.”The five golden rules
1 NATURAL DOESN’T NECESSARILY MEAN BETTER
There is a common misconception in
skincare and cosmetics as a whole that a
product labelled “natural” is better for you.
Wrong, says the dermatologist Dr Beibei
Du-Harper. “Although I can appreciate the
sentiment, this is simply not true — nature
can both benefit and harm. It is more
important to use an effective product.”
Hextall agrees, advising that suncare products
labelled “natural” or “organic” should be
approached with caution. “There’s a social
media trend for making natural, homemade
sunscreen containing ingredients such as
aloe vera, coconut oil, green tea and various
essential oils that are untested with regard to
efficacy,” she says. “While these ingredients
might be skin-friendly, sun protection
products undergo rigorous testing to evaluate
their sun protection factor, or SPF.”2 WATCH OUT FOR ‘WATER RESISTANT’
Think “water resistant” means there’s no
need to top up your SPF between swims? Not
quite, says the consultant dermatologist Dr
Justine Kluk. “This means the product might
have better staying power than one that isn’t
water-resistant.” So it’s a plus if you’re going
to be in the water or if you’re exercising
outside and likely to be sweating. “However, it
doesn’t mean that you don’t have to top up,”
Kluk says. “Reapplying, regardless of the
product being water-resistant or not, is still
recommended every two hours or after
swimming, sweating or towelling off.”3 BEWARE THE MELANIN MY TH
One of the biggest misconceptions about
suncare is that darker skin tones don’t require
sunscreen due to more melanin production.
“Black skin also needs a sunscreen factor 30
or above,” says Dr Ifeoma Ejikeme. “The key is
finding one that works well on your skin.”Dija Ayodele, author of Black Skin: The
Definitive Skincare Guide, agrees. “One of
the main challenges black people come up
against buying sunscreen is that it can
make skin look ashy and grey. This is due
to ingredients such as zinc oxide or
titanium oxide, which leave a white cast.”
These are mineral sunscreens, so she
recommends trying a chemical formula with
colourless filters such as homosalate
and avobenzone.EJIKEME AND AYODELE’S TOP PICKS
Black Girl Sunscreen SPF 30 ( 2 £19) is a
chemical sunscreen that dries without white
residue. Jojoba and avocado nourish skin and
vitamin C from carrot juice aids healing.Shiseido Expert Sun Protector Face &
Body Lotion SPF 50+ ( 3 £34) absorbs
superfast. The waterlike lotion turns invisible
immediately, leaving no residue or streaks.Altruist Sunscreen SPF 30 ( 4 £4.50) is both
cost-friendly and claims to have the world’s
most advanced filter: Tinosorb A2B. The
texture feels more like a moisturiser than
sunscreen and it is great for dry skin4 EXPIRY DATES ARE THERE FOR A REASON
“Sunscreens that are beyond their use-by
period or have expired should not be used as
they will no longer hold their SPF strength
and sun protection,” Laftah warns. Found a
bottle at the back of the cabinet and not sure
if it’s still OK? Denning says: “Licensing laws
dictate that sunscreens that are EU/FDA [the
US Federal Drug Administration] approved
are required to last for at least three years as
long as they are kept cool and out of direct
sunlight.” Heat and humidity can lead to the
breakdown of sunscreens.4321Greg Lotus/ Trunk Archive
The Sunday Times Style • 35