However hard we try to avoid it, at times the sun's powerful rays get the best of us and I'm sure at some point during your life you've managed to obtain that beautiful pink/red hue that we all try our best to evade. Whilst we know that eventually the redness will fade into a bronzed tan, it's really pretty bad for your skin to continuously burn whilst in the sun. It's actually a form of radiation and although you can't see the long-term effects, sunburn causes permanent damage to your skin.
As an avid sun-worshipper, I've always been very careful in the sunshine and have always chosen my SPF based on the temperature of our destination. However, during our recent trip to Grenada it became apparent that I had definitely chosen wrong, and had in fact been choosing wrong for literally my entire life. If like me, you tend to look at the weather and choose your factor of SPF based on the temperature of the country then I'm writing this for you.
Your SPF factor should be chosen by the UV index of your destination, not the temperature.
For example:
Whilst we were in Grenada the temperature was around 28/29 degrees celsius. This was pretty much the same for all of the other southern Caribbean islands, and the temperature for Saint Lucia was almost identical. The UV, however, was different. During our trip we realised that the UV index would change day by day and it was by far the highest UV numbers we'd experienced so far.
It was inevitable that we burnt on our first day of the trip, as we had majorly underestimated the strength of the sun. We were using factor 30, which is what I have always used for all of our Caribbean holidays so far, however what I failed to think of was the time of year in which we were visiting. The temperature in the Caribbean islands sits at around 27 - 30 degrees celsius in the winter months, but what I didn't realise was: the later in the year it gets, the higher the UV.
We would normally visit the tropics in January, when the UV is high, but slightly lower at around 8-10. In Grenada, in March, the UV was 11+ most days, with almost every day during our trip hitting a high of 12. No wonder we managed to burn so much on our first day.
(The most colour I've ever had on my skin)
Not only was the UV higher in Grenada in March, but another aspect that we had never even thought of was the location of the island on the earth's surface. We've been to four Caribbean islands now, but none of them as far South as Grenada. In fact, Grenada is the second most southern island out of all of them. The closer to the equator you are, the higher the UV. As soon as I heard it, it made so much sense but it's honestly something that's never crossed my mind before.
SO. Now you've had a mini lesson about the UV index and the equator, let's talk about how to choose your SPF.
I would like to start by saying that everyone's skin is different and we are the only people that know our bodies the best. If you know that you burn quickly, please always use something slightly higher than most people and apply a little more often.
UV 1-3 = no SPF required
If you're somewhere that has a UV of anything up to 3, you shouldn't really need to use any SPF, however we apply SPF to our faces daily.
UV 4-5 = SPF 20+
Whilst these numbers are still fairly low risk, those who are prone to burning or have fair skin could still burn within these numbers. To be safe, use an SPF of 15-30 and consider wearing a hat to protect your head and face.
UV 6-7 = SPF 20 - 30+
As the numbers creep up, even if you're olive skinned, you're going to want to start thinking about protecting yourself from radiation. Make sure to coat your exposed skin in at least SPF 20 and remember to protect t your face and eyes.
UV 8-10 = SPF 30 - 50+
At this point, we all need to apply some form of SPF to our skin wether we're fair or not. I personally would use 30 at this UV number but I'm not someone who generally burns all that easily, and I don't spend more than 45 minutes in full sun at a time. Remember to consider: your skin type, the amount of exposure you're getting and the activities you're doing. Apply at least every 2 hours or after being in water.
UV 11+ = SPF 50 - 70
"70?! You must be kidding? Factor 70 isn't even a thing, is it?!"
Whilst this might come as a shock, factor 70 is indeed a thing and we absolutely did buy an emergency bottle during our last trip. I'm not saying that 70 is something I would use religiously, but we did use it to:
Cover our burnt bits to avoid extra burn
Use it during the highest UV times of the day (11am-2pm)
Use it on our feet, consistently, as the cream will rub off here more than other places due to footwear
A UV index higher than 11 is some of the most extreme radiation you'll meet. Make sure to wear a good quality, high SPF, all day. Stay out of direct sun between 11am-2pm and don't forget to cover every inch of your body, including your scalp and ears! (Yes, we both did burn on our ears). Top up your sunscreen every hour. Yes, you read that correctly: EVERY HOUR, to avoid sun-damaged skin.
Lastly, consider using an additional product designed to help your skin adapt to the sun's light and help build a natural barrier for UV protection on a long-term basis. (Read more about this here: https://earthtoyou.co/pages/shining-a-light-on-sunlight)
Managing Sunburn:
If it's unfortunately a little too late to be taking preventative measures, and you've managed to get a nice even burn during your holiday or whilst enjoying the warmer weather, there are a few things that you can do to help minimise symptoms and manage the pain.
Take Ibuprofen (or an anti-inflammatory)
Honestly, this one is an absolute game changer, and one that I only learnt about earlier this year in Grenada. I got super burnt and I was finding it really uncomfortable to even wear clothes to dinner, so I did a deep dive on the web (as I always do) and saw an article that suggested Ibuprofen. NSAID drugs help block the reaction your body is having to the burn, whilst also working to reduce redness and any swelling. I went to bed one night really hot and uncomfortable, took a couple of tylenol before bed and I genuinely woke up in the morning feeling SO much less burnt with absolutely no pain and almost no symptoms!
2. Aloe / After sun
I always take aftersun with me on tropical or hot trips, but I know it isn't something everyone thinks about. If you can, get to a shop and get your hands on some aloe gel or aftersun OR even better, if you see any fresh aloe plants that you can cut a stem from, do it! Use the inside of the plant to rub into your sunburn for quick, natural relief.
3. Lastly, please stay out of the sun
If you've managed to get burnt and are still spending the day basking in the rays of the sun: PLEASE DON'T. The absolote worst thing you can do for sunburn is to continue trying to work on your tan. Just take a few days off, sit in the shade, drink loads of water and keep your poor skin out of the sunshine, at least until it heals!
Happy Travels!
Becca x
_
Comments