How to Protect your Skin from the Sun

1: "I need how much?"

The single biggest mistake Australians make when applying sunscreen is not putting on enough.

The only way to get the sun protection factor (SPF) displayed on the label is to apply 35ml of sunscreen per adult body – that’s a small cupful, or a teaspoonful per limb. It means a 100ml tube of sunscreen will give you only three full applications.

Most of us apply less than half that amount. That means if your sunscreen is labelled SPF15, you’ll only be getting an SPF of 7.

The reason you may not be burning is that the real SPF of some sunscreens is much higher than advertised. Something described as 30+ (the highest rating that can be claimed by law) may actually have an SPF of nearer 70 or 100 – meaning even if you apply only half, you’ll still be getting an SPF of 35 or 50. The problem is there’s no way of knowing if something labelled SPF30+ is just above the 30 mark or way over.

The best advice? "Get it right first off and put the right amount on. Apply the product, then apply it all over again. In two hours, reapply," says Gavin Greenoak of the Aus­tralian Photobiology Testing Facility.