In brief
- UVA passes through cloud cover and through glass. That is why sun protection is useful even on a grey Tuesday in Enschede.
- For your face, allow about two finger lengths of product. Most people use only half of what is needed.
- If you are outdoors, reapply about every two hours. If you are sitting indoors at a desk, you don't need to.
- With pigmentation, protection is part of the treatment. If you don't apply it, you work against your own treatment.
Written by Nilay, owner and beauty therapist at Moons BeautyUpdated on
Why it still counts when the sun isn't shining.
Two kinds of radiation reach your skin. UVB is the strong summer radiation that makes you burn, and there is hardly any of it in winter or behind glass. UVA is weaker and more constant, and it does pass through clouds and windows. All year round, all day.
That is why sun protection in the Netherlands is more than something for holidays. It is less about burning and more about what builds up over the years: all those hours of driving, walking and working by the window. You see that later as pigmentation and loss of firmness.
You don't need to be afraid of it either. For an ordinary day here, it is enough to apply sunscreen to your face, neck and hands every day. If you spend a day at the beach, you apply it more often and in larger amounts.
Four things that are different from what you think.
With your day cream you usually don't reach the SPF
For that you would have to use as much of it as you would of a separate sunscreen, and almost nobody does. You spread a day cream thinly, and then you don't reach the protection factor on the packaging.
You reapply SPF 50 every two hours too
The number says how much radiation is blocked. How long it keeps working is separate from that. Outdoors you reapply every two hours, whether you use SPF 30 or 50.
Darker skin needs protection too
Darker skin burns less quickly, although pigment reactions actually develop more easily in it. With skin of colour, protection is therefore often even more important for how your skin looks.
By the window you get more UVA than you think
If you sit far from a window all day, it isn't too bad. If you work by the window or drive a lot, it's a different story. You often see it on the side of your face that is turned towards the car window.
How much you need and when you reapply.
For your face and neck together, allow about two finger lengths of product: one line along your index finger and one along your middle finger. That feels like a lot, and that is how it should be. If you use less, you don't reach the SPF on the packaging, however high it is.
Apply it as the last step of your morning routine, over your cream, and give it a minute before you put on make-up. If you are then outdoors for more than an hour, take something with you to reapply. Over make-up, a stick or a powder is easier to use than a cream.
Think about the edges too: your ears, your neck, the side of your neck and your hands. In the salon we see the sun damage most clearly in those places, precisely because they fall outside the usual motion of applying it.
What to look for when choosing.
The best product is the product you put on every day. A formula that feels nice to use counts for more than a formula that is better on paper.
A good idea if
- At least SPF 30 for daily use, and broad spectrum, so it protects against UVA too.
- A texture you like. If it feels sticky, it will be sitting unused in the cupboard in two weeks.
- For oily skin: a gel or a fluid formula without heavy oils.
- For sensitive skin: a mineral version with zinc oxide is often gentler.
Check with us first
- A white cast says nothing about quality. For a darker skin tone there are formulas that leave no cast. Feel free to ask us about them.
- Body sunscreen is often too heavy for your face and can clog pores.
- Check the expiry date. A bottle from three summers ago protects less than you think.
- After a peel or microneedling your skin is extra sensitive. Sun protection is then simply part of the aftercare.
Frequently asked questions about sun protection
Do I really need sun protection every day in the Netherlands?
For your face, applying it daily is sensible, in winter and when it is cloudy too, because UVA is there all year round. You rarely burn then. What counts is what builds up over the years.
Is the SPF in my day cream enough?
Usually not, because you use much less of a day cream than of a separate sunscreen. If you want to keep it simple, choose a separate sunscreen as the last step.
How much should I use?
About two finger lengths for your face and neck together. That is more than most people are used to, and so in practice the SPF is often not reached.
Do I need to apply it indoors too?
If you sit by a window or drive a lot, yes, because UVA comes through glass. If you spend the whole day far from daylight, it is less important.
Does sun protection help against pigmentation?
It prevents existing pigment from getting darker and new pigment from forming. In a treatment for pigmentation it is therefore literally half of the work. If you don't apply it, you see the result slip back.
Which SPF should I choose?
For daily use, at least SPF 30 and broad spectrum. If you are out in the sun for a day, 50 is better. More important than the number is that you use enough and reapply on time.
From reading to doing
