Splash on the sunscreen
Why putting suntan lotion on your holiday shopping list is just the first step and knowing how to use it is vital.
We spend around £259m a year on sunscreen products in the UK. But unless you use it properly, you won't be protected. Most of us only use about a quarter of the amount we need.
X-Ray carried out a test with the help of members the Barry Island Beach Volleyball Club. Rhodri asked Riina Lehtonen and her fiancé Carl Harwood to apply a fluorescing cream as they would apply sunscreen for a sunny day.
Dermatologist Dr Sharon Blackford then used a UV lamp to see exactly where they had missed. Riina had covered her body in a thick layer, including often forgotten areas like the inner arms and feet, and only missed a small section behind her ears.
Carl, however, had applied no cream from the neck down, missed an eyelid and his ears - a common area for skin cancer. He improved with a second application but still missed areas including his stomach, back and feet.
Dr Blackford explained that Carl's tan was a sign of sun damage, as were the slightly thickened and leathery areas of his skin. She discovered nothing suspicious but advised now was the time to start covering up more.
Carl said: "Obviously I'm not a person who usually applies sun tan lotion but from this moment on I will be."
Dr Blackford said using enough sunscreen and reapplying often is crucial. People often underestimate the power of the sun in Wales so would apply sunscreen abroad but not while in their back garden.
She also had compelling reasons to protect yourself: "In Wales alone we have over 2,000 cases of skin cancer every year, and that's probably an underestimate.
"Sunburn is a well recognised factor in developing melanoma which is potentially the most serious form of skin cancer, which if it's not caught early and treated early, can kill you."
Lack of knowledgeThis summer, the Chartered Institute of Environmental Health (CIEH) and cancer charity Tenovus are carrying out sunscreen research on beaches in South Wales.
Julie Barratt, from CIEH, said those surveyed had known significantly less than expected.
She said: "There was very little knowledge of how much you should use, certainly how often you should apply it and how suntan lotion works."
Julie said that people seemed to believe that if factor 15 would give you 15 minutes in the sun, using factor 30 meant you could have twice as much.
She said: "But it's just not true. There's very little difference between factor 15 and factor 30 and even the higher factors in terms of how much protection they give you. The answer is use a lot and re-apply it often."
In the survey, the researchers show people five sample amounts of sunscreen and ask which is closest to how much they would normally use.
Researcher Melanie Jenkins said: "People are guessing anything from 2.5mls up to 40 or 50mls. But the correct answer is actually 30ml."
They also ask how long a 200ml bottle of sun cream would last a family of four on a beach holiday. If you are applying correctly every two hours, you would need 28 bottles for a two-week holiday.
Julie said that in response to the survey findings they, with Tenovus, will be suggesting to the Treasury that VAT should be taken off sunscreen.
Final tips:- Apply sunscreen half-an-hour before going out so it has time to start working
- Sunscreen doesn't have to be expensive - Which? Magazine recently named a supermarket's own brand at £3 a bottle as a best buy.
- Don't use old sunscreen. Its active chemicals degenerate, especially if the bottle is in the sun so last year's bottle of factor 40 may only give you factor five or six.
