Sunscreen, Your Best Friend

The one product dermatologists agree on

If you only ever buy one skincare product, make it sunscreen. Daily SPF:

• lowers your risk of skin cancer, and Australia and New Zealand have the highest rates in the world;
• slows visible ageing - most wrinkles, sagging and dark spots on a face come from years of sun, not birthdays;
• stops dark marks lingering - post-breakout marks, razor-bump marks and pigmentation fade much faster when they’re protected.

Reading the bottle

• SPF 50+ (Australia) or SPF 30–50 (UK/US) - higher is better, but how much you apply matters more than the number.
• Broad spectrum - protects against both UVB (burning) and UVA (ageing, pigmentation, and it goes through clouds and windows). Must-have.
• Water resistant (e.g. 4 hours) - for swimming and sweaty days. It still needs reapplying after towelling off.
• In the UK, look for a UVA star rating (4–5 stars) or “UVA” in a circle.

How much? (More than you think)

Most people use about a quarter of the amount that was tested. The easy guides:

• Face, neck and ears: about one teaspoon, or the “two-finger rule”: squeeze a line along your index and middle fingers.
• Whole body: roughly a teaspoon per arm, per leg, front, back and face - about seven teaspoons total.

Apply about 20 minutes before going out, and reapply every two hours outdoors, plus after swimming, sweating or towelling.

Where it goes in your routine

Morning: cleanse → (optional serum) → moisturiser → sunscreen → makeup. Sunscreen is the last skincare step. Let it settle a minute or two before foundation so nothing pills (rolls into little balls).

If you shave in the morning, shave first, then moisturise, then sunscreen. Freshly shaved skin can be stingy - fragrance-free, “sensitive” or mineral sunscreens tend to be gentler.

Finding one you love

The best sunscreen is the one you’ll happily wear every single day. Try a few:

if you want…	look for…
no greasiness (oily skin)	“matte”, “dry touch”, “fluid” or gel textures
comfort (dry skin)	lotions and creams, “hydrating”
gentle (sensitive or shaving)	fragrance-free, mineral (zinc oxide) formulas
no white cast (deeper skin tones)	chemical or “invisible”/tinted formulas
a tinted, light-coverage finish	tinted SPF - can help soften shadow and redness

Budget picks are easy to find at local supermarkets and pharmacies (AU: Coles, Woolworths, Chemist Warehouse; UK: Boots, Superdrug; US: Target, CVS, Walgreens) with reliable brands like Cancer Council, Banana Boat, Neutrogena, CeraVe or Bondi Sands. Nice-to-haves like La Roche-Posay Anthelios or Ultra Violette feel lovely, but aren’t more protective by default.

Sunscreen isn’t the whole story

The famous sun-smart motto Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide: slip on clothing, slop on SPF 50+, slap on a broad-brim hat, seek shade, slide on sunglasses. Sunscreen is your backup, not a force field.

Check the UV index on any standard weather app or widget. When it’s 3 or above, protect your skin - in sunny climates that can be most of the year, even on cloudy or cool days.