Make SPF your BFF
By Geraldine Fitzgerald
Ireland isn’t renowned for its sunny weather, but when it comes to SPF, that doesn’t matter.
With 12,000 cases of non-melanoma skin cancer diagnosed in Ireland each year, and sun exposure as the main risk factor, we need SPF all year round to protect our skin from harmful UVA and UVB rays.
However, LloydsPharmacy research finds most people don’t even wear SPF in the summer. Our impossible-to-predict weather lulls people into a false sense of confidence, with over two-thirds of Cork people leaving off the SPF. The people who do wear it tend to only remember to do so on a sunny day.
Staycations will continue to be a focal point of Irish life over the coming months, as they were last summer - but even though so called sun holidays were off the cards, over one-quarter of adults said they have experienced sunburn in the past year.
LloydsPharmacy Superintendent Pharmacist, Denis O’Driscoll has some sun safe tips for everyone:
1. Use more than you think! It is advised that you should use approximately a shot glass of product to cover your body, so don’t use it too sparingly.
2. Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before leaving the house to make sure the product has had enough time to soak in.
3. I’m only popping out; do I really need it? In short, yes. It’s still exposure, and depending on the time of day, you can get a sunburn quite quickly. Also, 20 minutes can easily turn into 40.
4. Reapply every two hours – yes, that is right, every two hours at least. If you go swimming you should reapply every time you get out of the water. Reapply more frequently if you are sweating a lot as well. LloydsPharmacy’s research found that only a third of people re-apply once a day.
5. Remember to protect your eyes too, make sure that the sunnies you are wearing have UV protection and aren’t just stylish!
Denis explained: “Irish people tend to think of SPF as something we pack when heading to the airport, but we really need to be wearing it all year round, regardless of the weather. This summer LloydsPharmacy have a great range of high-quality SPF brands in pharmacy, perfect to protect you and your loved ones. The highly trained teams are on hand to advise you on the right products to suit your needs, so pop in pharmacy or give them a call.”
If you’re looking for a family friendly yet affordable SPF, LloydsPharmacy’s Solero brand is perfect. This summer there is 50 per cent off this range in all 89 LloydsPharmacy stores nationwide.
Whilst most sun care products protect the skin against UV-A and UV-B rays, many of them do not protect against Infrared-A rays. The Solero range is specially formulated to provide triple defence against all three.
The range has been specially formulated to help protect the skin cells against the negative effects of Infrared-A radiation and prevent premature skin ageing and sun-induced wrinkles.