Photos show exactly how much sunscreen you should be using

Exactly how much sunscreen should you be applying today, what’s likely to be the hottest day of the year?

Spoiler: You’re probably not smearing on enough.

A recent study found that 67% of British people don’t use enough sun cream, with 44% using less than half of the recommended amount.

FYI, you’re supposed to use six teaspoons or more of sun cream for your entire body. That’s a bit tricky to visualise, so handily The Hospital Group has broken it down for us, creating images of the recommended amount of sunblock you should be using for each body part.

Here’s your guide to protecting your skin

Face and neck

Loads of us forget to smother our face in sun cream, and when we do it’s rarely enough.

The British Association of Dermatologists recommends half a teaspoon of sunscreen for your face and neck. It might be handy to actually crack out a teaspoon so you can get a proper measure.

Arms

Research found that 46% of Brits don’t apply enough sun cream to their arms (which we assumed was the easiest bit to cover, honestly).

The recommended amount is one teaspoon.

Legs

You need to rub in one teaspoon of sunscreen to each leg – so reserve two teaspoons’ worth for your pair of pins.

The front of your torso

One teaspoon for your chest and tummy, please.

The back of your torso

And another teaspoon for your back and shoulders. Enlist the help of a pal* to get every bit covered.

*One you trust not to give you a rude sunburn tattoo.

There are areas of your body you’re probably not slathering with suncream whatsoever, so make sure to save another teaspoon or so for those often forgotten areas.

Yes, you do need to put sunscreen on the soles of your feet, your lips (you can get special sunblock lip balms if you suffer from dryness), your eyelids, and your hairline or parting.

Oh, and your bum needs a layer of sunscreen, too. Apparently 87% of Brits forget to cover this bit.

Bear in mind that the six teaspoons rule is the ‘bare minimum’ of what you need, and ‘more is better’ is a good rule.

Six tips for staying safe in the sun:

Lauren Mackenzie, Head of Medical Aesthetics for Transform and The Hospital Group, shares her tips for staying safe in the sun:

The British Association of Dermatologists says: ‘When using lotions, as the bare minimum you should to apply at least six full teaspoons (approximately 36 grams) to cover the body of an average adult, which is more than half a teaspoon of sunscreen to each arm and the face/neck (including ears), and just over one teaspoon to each leg, front of body and back of body.

‘This is the amount used when products are tested for their SPF (it equates to 2 mg /cm²). Applying less will reduce the protection to a higher degree than is proportionate – for example, only applying half the required amount can actually reduce the protection by as much as two-thirds.

‘The overall message in terms of sunscreen use is “more is better.”

‘It is also easy to forget to reapply sunscreen as often as necessary. Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before going out in the sun to allow it to dry, and then again shortly after heading outdoors to cover any missed patches and to make sure you’re wearing a sufficient layer.

‘Reapply it at least every two hours, and immediately after swimming, perspiring and towel drying or if it has rubbed off.’

In short: smother yourself with suncream. No tan is worth serious skin damage.

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