We should use suntan lotion correctly or risk sunburn or skin damage. Much of the northern hemisphere is suffering record-breaking heat and deadly heatwaves. Japan has declared its heatwave a natural disaster. Doctors say people are getting less than half the protection from the sun than they think. We should use lotion with the highest sun protection factor (SPF) possible. An SPF of 15 is insufficient to block the sun's harmful UV rays. Researchers say we need to use SPF 30 or 50 to make sure we are protected.
The doctors highlighted another problem - we do not use enough suntan lotion. We are skimping on how much we put on. A professor said most people put too little on and do not spread it on at-risk areas of the skin. Most people only get 40 per cent of the expected protection from SPF 50 lotion because they apply it too thinly. We need at least six teaspoons to cover our body. We need more than half a teaspoon for our face, neck and ears. Many people forget to put lotion on their ears. These are too often exposed to the sun and can burn easily.