Calypso Once a Day Sun Protection Lotion with SPF 30

Product Information

Cover up – wear sunglasses to protect your eyes and grab a hat if you need to keep your face out of the sun. You might also want to wear a T-shirt, which can help to cover up typically over-exposed areas such as shoulders. Physical/mineral products reflect visible light as well as UV, which can make the formulations opaque and leave a white residue on the skin. Some formulations use nanoparticles of titanium dioxide and zinc oxide – the minerals responsible for the residue. Nanoparticles are smaller, and as they scatter visible light – rather than reflect it – the sun creams are transparent. How to use sun cream Physical or mineral sun creams create a barrier on the skin that acts like a mirror, reflecting and scattering the UV light. When choosing sun cream for your child, look for a short ingredients list and the terms 'fragrance free' and 'hypoallergenic'. The WHO recommends 35ml of sun cream (seven teaspoons' worth) to cover an adult, so use around a quarter to a half of this depending on the size of your child. Eat well, live better and stay healthy - sign up for our free monthly Food & Health newsletter for the latest insights delivered straight to your inbox

Sun cream provides protection from sunlight using UV filters. These are classified into two types: chemical and physical – also known as mineral sun cream.For any product to provide the SPF it claims, you need to apply 2mg per square cm – which means around a teaspoonful of product for your face. And, just as with sun cream, it needs to be reapplied regularly.

Remember, sun cream is just one part of staying safe in the sun and it's also really important to encourage kids (and adults) to:This tends to mean that two commonly used chemical UV filters linked to coral bleaching – oxybenzone and octinoxate – aren’t used. If you're using sun cream at the beach, apply plenty before swimming, and again when you leave the water. Reef-safe sun creams There’s a long list of ingredients that are used as chemical absorbers, so it’s easiest to simply look for products that are labelled ‘sensitive’ rather than search for specific ingredients. SPF make-up: does it really offer protection from the sun?

For reasons of hygiene and safety, personal grooming products, cosmetics or items of intimate clothing cannot be returned. For more details on the importance of vitamin D and where to buy supplements, see our in-depth vitamin D guide . Other ways to stay safe in the sun We saw an average 74% decrease in SPF protection at the end of the tests. We shared our concerns with Cancer Research UK (CRUK) and the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD). Both advise against relying on any sun cream for extended periods in the sun. The industry guideline for water-resistant sun creams allows the SPF of a product to drop by 50% after a total of 40 minutes in water. Water-resistance testing also takes place in what is essentially a bath – using tap water.From April to September, when the UV Index is generally higher. It takes 10 to 15 minutes of sun exposure each day for those with fair-to-olive skin to get enough vitamin D. You can buy sun cream in pharmacies, supermarkets and discount stores, with some of our tested options coming from Asda, Boots, Garnier, Nivea and Wilko. Consider the time of day – If you're spending time in the sun without wearing sun cream, you should only do so before 11am or after 3pm, as the middle of the day is when you're at the greatest risk of getting burnt. However, there's no agreed definition of 'reef-safe', research is still ongoing as to the impact of these chemicals, and our tests found many mineral suncreams failed to protect as claimed – so take any claims with a pinch of salt. Kids' sun cream

Apply evenly and generously, smooth in gently. We recommend a minimum quantity of 35ml for all over body protection. Avoid sun exposure between 11am - 3pm. Seek shade and always protect children with a hat, loose clothing and high SPF protection. Some people worry that using sun cream might prevent them from getting enough vitamin D, but this isn’t the case unless you really overdo it. Always be aware of the strength of the sun. Never exceed sun exposure for longer than your skin allows. Remember - all skin types are different. Babies less than six months old should be kept out of direct sunlight, according to the NHS, and the skin of young children should be protected from the sun when UV levels are high.Do not exceed exposure to the sun for longer than your skin type allows, taking into account the strength of the sun. Mineral sunscreens in particular often promote their environmental credentials, the most common being that they’re ‘reef-safe’ or 'ocean-friendly'. Even with our test subjects just sitting on a chair in a T-shirt, we saw substantial reductions in the level of sun protection, so we don't think you can rely on once-a-day sun cream to keep you protected all day. Apply to all exposed areas especially those that are prone to sun radiation e.g. face, nose, receding hairline, shoulders and feet. We tested two popular sun creams in chlorinated water (to mimic a swimming pool) and salty water (to emulate the sea). We also added another scenario using fast-moving tap water to see what effect this had. Most of the time, the products weren't as effective in our more realistic conditions as they were in tap water.