What's the story with sunscreen? On a beach in the south of France in the middle of a punishing heatwave earlier this month, most people on the beach, as lunchtime approached, were speaking English, many with an Irish accent. Those for whom the sun was a less unusual treat had long since retreated to the comfort and safety of the shade where they stayed for the early afternoon.
It is not just while on holiday that we adopt a foolhardy approach to the sun. At home, in the middle of our own extended hot spell, the red, burnt faces that streamed out of Croke Park after weekend All-Ireland matches suggested that the sun's dangers have yet to be fully recognised by large numbers of Irish people.
A survey published at the beginning of the summer by the Irish Cancer Society bears this out. It shows that 40 per cent of Irish adults do not use sunscreen, whether out walking, working outside or sunbathing. Unsurprisingly, perhaps, nearly two-thirds of those were men.
While many people have yet to heed the warnings from bodies such as the Irish Cancer Society or even the warnings given by their own sunburnt bodies, demand for products offering protection from the sun is growing and the choices available to shoppers can be bewildering.
What do you buy? How much do you need to spread? And how often and how thickly do you need to spread it? How much do you need to spend? Most people rely on the sun protection factor (SPF) on the bottle as their sole guide to gauging the protection offered and only a small minority look for the level of ultraviolet (UV) radiation protection. Although SPF is important in understanding a sunscreen's protection from UVB rays, it doesn't help when it comes to assessing levels of UVA protection.
The sun produces two types of ultraviolet radiation which reach the earth's surface. UVB rays can cause sunburn and skin cancer and UVA rays lead to premature ageing of the skin as well as skin cancer. Sun worshippers have to be careful when choosing sunscreens to ensure that the brand offers protection against both.
The most common methods of indicating the level of UVA protection a cream offers are a star-rating system running from one to five stars or labels stating UVA protection as low, medium, high or ultra-high.
The Irish Cancer Society recommends a sunscreen of at least SPF 15 and a high or ultra high (four to five stars) level of UVA protection.
It is also important to cover yourself with enough cream. There is no escaping the fact that applying suncream is a chore, particularly on a beach when the delightful combination of greasy cream and gritty sand serve as an effective if entirely unwelcome exfoliant. That, and of course the cost - a bottle of ordinary suncream in Ireland costs up to €20 - go some way to explain why most people apply only 20-50 per cent of the amount of recommended sunscreen and consequently are getting a lot less protection than they imagine.
According to the guidelines issued by the Irish Cancer Society, sunscreen should be applied thickly and evenly, with an amount about the size of a golf ball in your hand for use over your entire body. It should be applied 20 minutes before going out in the sun and then reapplied every two hours.
Even those who invest, wisely, in the right protection and apply it diligently may not be as safe as they think, according to a survey published in Britain earlier this month. The consumer group Which? claimed that some leading brands of suncream did not deliver the protection printed on the packaging. A Which? laboratory looked at a range of best-selling suncreams claiming an SPF of 15 and found some had an SPF as low as 6.3. The survey findings were rejected by the firms involved who threatened legal action against the consumer body.
Four creams did get the thumbs up from Which? - Garnier Ambre Solaire Moisturising Protection Milk, Lancôme Soleil Soft-Touch Moisturising Sun Lotion, L'Oreal Solar Expertise Advanced Protection Lotion and Piz Buin In Sun were found to offer excellent protection from harmful rays and were recommended.
However, protection comes at a cost. The Garnier Ambre Solaire brand seemed to be the best value with the price for a one-week sun holiday estimated to be €35.79. The cost of a week's coverage from the Lancôme product was estimated to be more than €90.
And that's if you're using it correctly. Although the "correct" usage is still open to debate. Protection against UVA light is cut to almost zero when sunscreen is rubbed in to the extent that it is no longer visible, a research charity claimed recently. The Restoration of Appearance and Function Trust (Raft) said the risk of damage could actually be increased because the cream still stops the skin burning, encouraging people to lie in the sun for longer. Dr Rachel Haywood, a senior scientist at Raft, said suncreams worked, but only if they were applied in a thick "buttery" layer. The charity is calling for new advice for the public and a change in sunscreen testing methods, and is particularly concerned that parents do not realise their children are being exposed to the risk of cancer.
One reader contacted PriceWatch last week to complain about the price of suncream in Ireland. "On a recent visit to Spain I bought Nivea Factor 8 sun protection for €7," she said. When she returned home she found her local pharmacy selling the same product for €17.25, an indication perhaps that the Irish are, if not being burned by the sun, being burned by an industry which knows it has us over a barrel when it comes to protection.
For further information on being SunSmart or about skin cancer, freefone the National Cancer Helpline on 1800-200700 (weekdays 9am-5pm, Tuesdays until 9pm)
