How to protect your skin from the sun: enjoy the seaside without regrets

How to protect your skin from the sun? Combine several measures: broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher, shade at midday, a hat, sunglasses and light clothing that covers your skin. Each of them works less well on its own than all of them together.

The sun lifts your mood and gives you vitamin D, but too much ultraviolet light damages the skin: it causes sunburn, dark spots and dryness and speeds up the appearance of wrinkles. According to the WHO, UV radiation is the main risk factor for skin cancer. Yet protecting yourself is easy once you know a few rules.

How to apply sunscreen the right way?

Sunscreen only protects you when you use enough of it and reapply it on time. The guidelines from the American Academy of Dermatology are simple:

• Choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen (UVA and UVB protection) with SPF 30 or higher.
• Apply it 15 minutes before going out in the sun, and be generous: about a teaspoon for your face and neck.
• Reapply every 2 hours and after every swim or heavy sweating.
• Don't forget your ears, the back of your neck, your feet and your lips (use an SPF lip balm).

How to protect your face from the sun?

Your face is the part of you that's most often uncovered, so it needs protection every day, not just at the beach.

• Apply SPF sunscreen as the last step of your morning skincare routine, after moisturizer.
• If you wear makeup, don't rely on the SPF in your foundation alone: it's usually applied in too thin a layer.
• Use an SPF lip balm.
• Protect the skin around your eyes with sunglasses and a brimmed hat.

How to protect your skin from the sun without sunscreen?

Sunscreen isn't your only defense: shade and clothing work just as well — and at midday, even better.

• Stay in the shade from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., when the sun is strongest.
• Wear a wide-brimmed hat and sunglasses.
• Choose light, long-sleeved clothing made of tightly woven fabric.
• Check the UV index in your weather app: at 3 or higher, you need protection.

How to protect your scalp from the sun?

Your scalp burns easily along the part and wherever your hair is thin — and it's hard to notice. The best protection is something on your head.

• Wear a hat, a sun hat or a bandana, especially at the beach and in the mountains.
• You can apply a sunscreen spray to your part and any exposed areas.
• Don't forget your ears and the back of your neck — they're the first to burn.

Which mistakes most often lead to sunburn?

Most of the time skin burns not because the sunscreen is bad, but because of how it's used.

• Applying sunscreen once in the morning and forgetting about it until evening.
• Skimping on sunscreen — a thin layer protects less than the label says.
• Not reapplying after a swim, even if it's “water-resistant.”
• Thinking there's no sun under an umbrella or on a cloudy day.
• Using last year's sunscreen that's past its expiration date.

Check your kit before your trip: sunscreen for your face and body, SPF lip balm, a hat and sunglasses.

How to care for your skin after vacation?

After sun and a flight, your skin is usually dehydrated. Drink more water, use a moisturizing routine in the morning and a richer cream at night. If you flew a long way, our article “Jet lag” will help you get your schedule back on track.

If you do get sunburned, cool your skin with cool water, apply a soothing product and stay out of the sun until it fades (NHS). If the burn is severe, or you have blisters, a fever or feel unwell, see a doctor.

For daily care after vacation, many of our clients choose the Alavida set — a day nectar, a night cream and an eye cream — and add Alavida patches, which, according to the company, support the skin's natural renewal. Another option is the Y-Age Glutathione patch: according to LifeWave, it improves the look of your skin. We explain how to build a morning and evening routine in “Alavida skincare: a morning and evening routine”. None of these products replaces sunscreen.