As those of us with lupus know only too well, we need to be very careful in strong sunlight. Now summer is well and truly here, I’m sure we’ve all been applying our sun lotion again. Many of us use SPF 50, but what does SPF actually mean?

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. The SPF is a measure of how long the sun lotion remains effective, contrary to popular belief it doesn’t mean you can lie in the sun indefinitely! The effectiveness is measured by how long it takes you to burn without sun lotion. This obviously varies from person to person, but for example if it takes 10 minutes before you burn without it, it will take you 500 minutes to burn with SPF50 on.

Contrary to common advice that sun lotions should be reapplied every couple of hours, research has shown that the best protection is achieved by applying 15-30 minutes before sun exposure, then reapplied once after 15 minutes after exposure (as it sinks into your skin). Then only needs to be reapplied after swimming, sweating, wiping or rubbing.

So now you know!

If you’re very sun sensitive you may also be interested in a range of sun protective clothing by British company- Sunsibility. The fabric it’s made from offers SPF 50 protection. Follow this link if you wish to see their range- Sunsibility.