Every spring when the sun starts shining we experience a lot of confusion and disagreements regarding use of sunscreen. So; we decided to update our article about the subject. Give it a go and send us a comment or questions should you have any.

What SPF should I choose?

If you live in Denmark or Northern Europe the National Board of Health and the Danish Cancer Society (Kræftens Bekæmpelse) recommend that you use SPF15.
It may sound like a low factor, but when it comes to sunscreen, studies show that the amount of sunscreen is more important than a high SPF.

In Scandinavia SPF 15 provides good protection in the Nordic summer – as long as it is applied and reapplied thouroughly.  You should however choose a higher factor if:

• – if you live or are going to the southern Europe
• – if you have very light skin
• – if you just had a new tattoo 

There is in other words no need to get carried away and put on factor 1000. Choose the sun factor wisely according to your skin, climate and sun exposure.

How much sunscreen should I use?

Opposite of what you might think, sunburns are more often due to not enough sunscreen than use of sunscreen with a too low level of SPF. 

A Danish study has shown that we do not use enough sunscreen. And not just a little ‘not enough’ – we only use on average 25 percent of the recommended dose. And no, you cannot compensate for your low sunscreen consumption by choosing a higher SPF.

When the producers develop sunscreen, they calculate the SPF from the recommended time you are supposed to be in the sun and by the fact that you use the correct dose.

Tests have shown that SPF 15 works as SPF 2 if you only use 25% of the recommended amount of sunscreen. And SPF 50 will only work as SPF 3, which means almost no difference in protection. 

The best quantity is:

• – 20 ml for a child
• – 40 ml for an adult

A great rule of thumb is to use a full handful (of the person in question) for a full body.  

How often do I need to use sunscreen?

Many childcare institutions want parents to apply sunscreen on the children in the morning. Then the institution apply again after lunch and maybe even after their afternoon snack at 2 PM.

Tests have however shown that there are about 50 percent left of the sun cream eight hours after you have applied it. The sun’s rays begin to decline after 2 pm, so there is really only need to apply sunscreen once a day.

Exceptions are of course if you are at the beach and in and out of water all the time – then you should use sunscreen on yourself and your child at least once more. 

When should I apply the sunscreen?

The SPF value is made so that it dries up and is ready for your child to get dressed twenty minutes after the sunscreen is applied.

If you put on clothes just four minutes after you applied the sunscreen to your child, the SPF only works by 50%.

Should you choose sunscreen with UVA or UVB protection?

You will get the best protection if you choose a sunscreen with both UVA and UVB. This is not an issue inside Europe as all sunscreens sold in Europe must contain both UVA and UVB.

Are you outside of Europe – make sure it has both.

Shelf life

You can have a sunscreen on your shelf for up to three years and it will still function, if it has not been opened. Once you opened your sunscreen, use it within a year.

It is always good to notice whether your sunscreen changes color, smell or consistency. The more heat the sunscreen has been exposed to for example on the beach, the faster it will loose its effect.  

Choose the right sunscreen

Sunscreen is made to protect your skin. Unfortunately, some sunscreens contain allergenic ingredients.
Therefore, we always recommend that you choose a sunscreen that we have certified so that you are sure our toxicologist has checked the product. You can see which products we have certified here

List of AllergyCertified sunscreens:

Active by Charlotte
I’m hot sunspray SPF 15

I’m hot sunspray SPF 30

Anthyllis eco bio cosmesi
Crema solare SPF 50

Decubal
Sunspray SPF 30

Derma
Baby Sun lotion SPF30

Kids Sun Lotion SPF 30

Kids Sun Lotion Roll SPF 30

Kids Sun Spray SPF 30

Sun Lotion SPF 50

Sun Face Cream SPF 15

Sun Face Cream SPF 30

Sun Lotion SPF 30

Sun Oil SPF 15

Sun Oil SPF 30

Sun Spray SPF 20

Sun Spray SPF 30

Sun Stick SPF 50

Sun Lotion Roll-on SPF 30

Sun Lotion SPF 15

Ecooking

Face Sunscreen SPF 30

Face Sunscreen SPF 50

Margarita

Sun Lotion with cucumber extract and vitamins SPF 50

MDerma

Sun Lotion SPF 15

Sun Lotion SPF 30

Sun Lotion SPF 50

Nilens Jord

Body Sun Protection SPF 15

Body Sun Protection SPF 30

Face Sun Protection SPF 30

Face Sun Protection SPF 50

Sun Protection Stick SPF 50

P20

Suncare for Kids SPF 50+

P20 Original SPF 30 

P20 Original SPF 50+

P20 Sensitive SPF 30

P20 Sensitive SPF 50+

P20 Sensitive Face SPF 50+

Rudolph Care
Sun lotion kids SPF 50
Sun lotion kids SPF 30

Sterisol

Sun Lotion SPF 30

Sun Lotion SPF 50

Squalan

SUN15

SUN30

ZENZ

Sun Oil Pure no. 94

Faarborg Pharma
Ultimate Face Cream – Day SPF 20