Sun exposure plays a major role in the skin's ageing process. Up to 90% of all visible signs of ageing can be attributed to the harmful effects of sun exposure.

The Sun Protection Factor (SPF) specified on your bottle of sunscreen tells you how much protection your sunscreen offers against UVB rays.Overexposure to the sun can threaten your health, so avoid staying out in the sun too long, even when using a sunscreen.

The sun provides the earth with life-giving energy and is the major factor in determining the earth's climate and weather. The sun not only sends visible light to the earth but also invisible radiation that can have a negative impact on our health if received in doses that are too high. You can decrease your protection level step-by-step during your holiday as soon as your skin has produced its own defence system: the tan. After a few days of effective protection, try moving from a high protection product to a medium one. But remember that people with a natural suntan also need to apply sunscreen as a tan does not provide sufficient protection from UV exposure. Also bear in mind, that the SPF level you need largely depends on your skin phototype and the local UV intensity. Try to avoid intense midday sun from 11:00am and 3:00pm during the summer months or when on holiday in tropical countries.If you don't protect yourself from high doses of UV rays, these rays will start penetrating the layers of the skin. Eventually, blood vessels below the skin's surface will expand and leak fluids, causing inflammation and redness. Sunburn normally first appears 2-6 hours after the start of exposure, reaches its maximum intensity within 24-36 hours and disappears after 3-5 days. Skin cancer, or malignant melanoma, appears to be caused by damage to the DNA structure of skin cells that are exposed to the sun —“ with just 5% of all carcinomas occurring on areas of the skin that are not exposed. Damage to these skin cells leads to the growth of degenerated cells that in turn result in cancer. In Europe, skin cancer is far more prevalent in the north, where people'™s skin tends to contain less pigmentation. To choose the right SPF, you need to consider several factors. The most important of these is your skin'™s phototype, which includes the colour of your skin before exposure to the sun, your hair and eye colour and other factors. You also need to think about where you are going on holiday and what time of year it is.