Do you still need SPF when summer is over?

Sun protection · 4 minute read

A cooler forecast does not answer the sunscreen question. Here is a practical way to plan protection around your skin, the UV index and your day.

There is a cardigan on the chair, the mornings feel cooler and the beach bag has gone back into the cupboard. Does the sunscreen go with it?

The useful answer depends on your day. Autumn sun protection does not need scare stories or a rigid rule about the weather outside your window. It needs a quick check of the UV forecast, an honest look at how long you will be outside and a product you know how to use.

Check UV, not just the temperature

You can burn in the UK when it is cloudy. The NHS advises considering protection when the UV index is 3 or higher, and notes that the sun is strongest between 11am and 3pm from March to October. Read NHS sun-safety guidance.

Look for the UV number in your weather app as well as the temperature. It gives you more useful information than deciding sunscreen is unnecessary because you needed a jumper.

Your skin and circumstances matter too. People vary in how readily they burn, and advice may be different if you have a photosensitive condition or have been given particular guidance by a clinician. A single number cannot replace that personal advice.

Plan for the day you are actually having

Before you leave, ask three questions:

• Where will I be? A brief trip to the shops and an afternoon in the garden deserve separate thought.
• What will be exposed? Think beyond your cheeks: neck, ears, hands and any other uncovered skin.
• When can I top up? If you will be outside for a while, put sunscreen somewhere you can reach it.

This is where a practical habit helps. Keep protection near the things that already mark an outdoor day: your walking shoes, gardening gloves or handbag. You are less likely to remember the tube at the back of the bathroom cupboard after you have already arrived somewhere.

Shade, clothing, a suitable hat and sunglasses belong in the plan as well. Sunscreen is one part of protection; applying it does not turn extra hours in the sun into a risk-free choice. The British Skin Foundation explains these layers of sun protection.

Read two parts of the label

SPF describes UVB protection. UVA protection needs its own indication. NHS advice is to choose at least SPF30 with at least four-star UVA protection; the UVA-circle symbol also indicates the relevant European standard.

Do not assume that two products' SPF numbers add together. Application matters too: the British Association of Dermatologists explains that SPF moisturisers are often applied more thinly than sunscreen, giving less protection than the label's tested SPF. Follow the full application directions. Read its sunscreen fact sheet.

Check the expiry or period-after-opening information, too. If you cannot remember when an old tube was opened, make a note on the replacement when you start it. That is a simple favour to your future self.

Give application a place in the routine

Use sunscreen according to its label, covering exposed skin generously. During outdoor exposure, reapply at least every two hours and after swimming, sweating, towel drying or rubbing it off. Follow the product's directions about applying before going out.

If you are exploring HIGHBORN's daytime range, see GLOWGUARD SPF30 Anti-Ageing Moisturiser. Read the full protection and application details on the product and check that it meets your needs; a product name alone cannot tell you everything about UVA protection or suitability for an active day.

Already have sunscreen you like? Keep using it correctly. A familiar product in your bag is more useful than a new one you leave at home.

Tomorrow's small task is simply to check the UV forecast alongside the weather, then prepare for the day ahead.

With care, the HIGHBORN London team