{"id":447951,"date":"2026-01-30T19:11:16","date_gmt":"2026-01-30T19:11:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/447951\/"},"modified":"2026-01-30T19:11:16","modified_gmt":"2026-01-30T19:11:16","slug":"why-your-sunscreen-application-might-be-putting-your-good-intentions-to-waste","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/447951\/","title":{"rendered":"Why your sunscreen application might be putting your good intentions to waste"},"content":{"rendered":"

Australian sunscreen has been in the news a lot in the past year and it may have left you wondering how you can best protect your skin \u2014 and with kids heading back to school, their skin too.<\/p>\n

Testing commissioned by consumer group Choice<\/a> revealed some popular sunscreens failed to meet their sun protection factor (SPF) claims in June, and a number of sunscreens have since been recalled<\/a>.<\/p>\n

But even if your sunscreen isn’t under scrutiny, it could be that your application is letting you down.<\/p>\n

Many of us simply don’t apply enough, according to Anne Cust, cancer epidemiologist and the director of the Daffodil Centre.<\/p>\n

This is what three experts had to say about how to get the best protection from your sunscreen this summer.<\/p>\n

How do you apply sunscreen correctly?<\/p>\n

Professor Cust says Australia has the highest rates of skin cancer in the world, “mainly due to our very high ultraviolet radiation levels from the sun”.<\/p>\n

Sunscreen is one of our “five key sun protection measures”, along with protective clothing, a broad-brimmed hat, seeking shade and wearing sunglasses.<\/p>\n

A dermatologist at Sydney’s Liverpool Hospital, Deshan Sebaratnam, says you should apply an “adequate amount” if you follow the teaspoon rule.<\/p>\n

Use about 1 teaspoon or 5 millilitres for each arm, each leg, the front of your body, the back of your body and again on your face, he says.<\/p>\n

Or as Professor Cust says “about 1 teaspoon per body part”.<\/p>\n

Dermatologist Cara McDonald recommends double-coating sunscreen on high-risk areas, such as your face and the tops of shoulders.<\/p>\n

She compares it to painting a wall, when there’s “patchy bits” after the first coat but it’s consistent after a second.<\/p>\n

Dr McDonald says sunscreen is also ideally applied twenty minutes before going out in the sun, giving it time to absorb into the skin and create a protective barrier.<\/p>\n

This is important when it comes to chemical sunscreens, but it may help you get better coverage with mineral options too, she says.<\/p>\n

\"Dr<\/p>\n

Cara McDonald says “if in doubt”, you should reapply sunscreen. (Supplied)<\/p>\n

If kept in your car it might not be at its best<\/p>\n

Dr McDonald suggests checking the expiry date of any sunscreen lying around at home and considering where you store it.<\/p>\n

“If it’s stored in a really hot environment \u2014 like left in the car \u2014 those things can break down the sunscreen properties as well.”<\/p>\n

Professor Cust says if it has been stored in your car for a long time, “you might be better off buying a new one just to make sure you’re getting a really effective sunscreen”.<\/p>\n

Dr McDonald also advises against mixing your sunscreen in with other products. It “can change the efficacy of your sunscreen”.<\/p>\n

Do I need to reapply sunscreen if I sweat?<\/p>\n

The advice from experts is to reapply sunscreen every 2 hours regardless of conditions but there are times you may want to do it more regularly.<\/p>\n

\"Deshan<\/p>\n

Deshan Sebaratnam is also a Conjoint Associate Professor with\u00a0The University of New South Wales. (Supplied: Deshan Sebaratnam)<\/p>\n

Dr Sebaratnam says “some of the sunscreen is lost” any time you sweat or get your skin wet.<\/p>\n

When you’re sweating your skin might also experience friction which can impact the longevity of your sunscreen, Dr McDonald says.<\/p>\n

For example, “if you’re sweating and then wiping your face with a towel \u2026 you’re going to rub it off a lot more than if you’re just sweating”.<\/p>\n

Dr McDonald says if you’ve wiped your face after a big run “you would want to reapply as soon as you have wiped your skin”.<\/p>\n

How often should you apply sunscreen if swimming?<\/p>\n

Professor Cust says sunscreen may wear off more quickly if you’re swimming.<\/p>\n

She recommends reapplying after removing excess water, such as after towel drying.<\/p>\n

“It is easier to apply when the skin is dry as it absorbs better into the skin.”<\/p>\n

Sunscreen alone isn’t going to be enough to give yourself the best protection, Professor Cust adds.<\/p>\n

Dr McDonald says wearing a rash vest or sitting under an umbrella or a cabana “reduces the risk” further.<\/p>\n

What is the difference between sport sunscreen and regular sunscreen?\"A<\/p>\n

Anne Cust says “good coverage” when you’re applying or re-applying sunscreen is “the main thing”. (Supplied: Cancer Council Australia)<\/p>\n

Professor Cust says sunscreens rely on the same base ingredients and while there are differences in formulation the biggest differences can come down to how they are marketed.<\/p>\n

“My advice is to just try different formulations [and] see what works for you, because there’s very different costs and textures and people have different preferences.”<\/p>\n

While ‘sport’ specific sunscreen “might be a bit thicker”, Professor Cust says “you don’t have to buy a sport sunscreen if you’re doing a sport”.<\/p>\n

Dr Sebaratnam says, “ideally you should be reapplying sunscreen every 2 hours regardless of what is advertised on the bottle”.<\/p>\n

This is general information only. For detailed personal advice, you should see a qualified medical practitioner who knows your medical history.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Australian sunscreen has been in the news a lot in the past year and it may have left…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":447952,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[231930,231928,43,231927,44,65796,41,39,42,40,231929],"class_list":["post-447951","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-headlines","tag-choice-sunscreen","tag-do-i-need-to-reapply-sunscreen-if-i-sweat","tag-headlines","tag-how-often-should-you-apply-sunscreen-if-swimming","tag-news","tag-spf","tag-top-news","tag-top-stories","tag-topnews","tag-topstories","tag-what-are-the-rules-for-sunscreen"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447951","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=447951"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/447951\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/447952"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=447951"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=447951"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=447951"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}