5 reasons why you NEED TO wear sunscreen

It's greasy, you sweat through it, and you're not going to be outside for THAT long so you don't need it. But guess what? You really do.

Sunscreen is not a slap-and-run affair

You need to rub sunscreen into your skin at least 15 minutes before you step out. Sunscreens use chemicals like oxybenzone, homosalate and octisalate which need need to be absorbed and activated in your skin before you put them to work.

Waterproof isn't really waterproof

Jumping in and out of a pool or going for a dip in the crystal clear ocean means a re-application of your sun protector. Waterproof sunscreens won't wash away immediately, but their effectiveness is compromised after 20 minutes of being in water.

All SPF provides almost the same level of protection

Well, SPF 15 and SPF 30 give you between 93 and 97 per cent protection. But the kicker here is not the difference in intensity, but the difference in time. For example, an SPF of 50 will give you 40 minutes of sun protection before it needs to be reapplied, whereas an SPF 15 needs to be reapplied every 10 minutes.

Sunscreens don't give you a Vitamin D deficiency

Sunscreens absorb the UV rays and neutralise their harmful affects as opposed to sunblock, which forms a layer on your skin and reflects away the rays. Vitamin D production in the body also gets a boost with fish, milk and eggs.

Sunscreen is essential at higher altitudes

Forget just browning on the beach, the higher you go above sea level, the thinner air up there doesn't deflect the intensity of the sun's rays. In fact, when you're in an aircraft, the UV protection through the glass is negligible and the UV radiation is equivalent to 20 minutes in a tanning bed! NEVER skip sunscreen on a flight.