Sunscreen tips to protect your skin during the holiday season

The Cancer Association of South Africa (CANSA) has  offered a number of skin care tips so that families, schools and communities can protect themselves from the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV) rays as the holiday season brings more outdoor activities.

With school holidays in full swing, children are especially vulnerable to sunburn and long‑term skin damage that can increase the risk of melanoma later in life.

CANSA National Manager of  the Health Programme Lorraine Govender warned that UV radiation posed a high risk. 

“Just one blistering sunburn during childhood can more than double a person’s risk of developing melanoma later in life, South Africans often underestimate how powerful our sun is, even on cloudy, windy or cool days. UV radiation is the danger, not the temperature.”

Myths vs Facts

Myth: You can’t get sunburned on cloudy, windy or cool days.

Fact: UV rays penetrate cloud cover and can even intensify due to reflection. 

Myth: People with darker skin don’t get skin cancer.

Fact: All skin tones can develop skin cancer, and cases in darker skin are often detected later.

Myth: Cosmetics with Sun Protection Factor (SPF) are enough.

Fact: Most offer far less protection than needed. 

Myth: SPF50 lets you stay in the sun longer.

Fact: SPF is not armour. SPF30 filters ±96.7 percent  of UV; SPF50 filters ±98 percent

Myth: If you tan but don’t burn, you don’t need to bother with sun protection. 

Fact: There’s no such thing as a safe tan. If skin darkens, it is a sign of skin cells in trauma, even if there is no redness or peeling. Skin darkens as a way of trying to protect itself because the UV rays are damaging living cells. If you tan easily, you are still at risk of skin cancer and need to use sun protection. 

To help families keep sun-safe CANSA recommends:

• Dress children in tightly‑woven clothing, wide‑brimmed hats and UV400 sunglasses.
• Apply broad‑spectrum SPF 30‑50 sunscreen 20–30 minutes before going outdoors and reapply every two hours or after swimming.
• Avoid peak UV hours between 10am and 3pm.
• Look for the CANSA Smart Choice Seal on sunscreens, clothing and accessories, which guarantees tested UVA/UVB protection.

The association also urges schools to create shaded play areas and to encourage learners to wear protective hats, UV‑protective clothing and sunglasses.

For more information, South Africans can visit https://cansa.cmail19.com/t/d-l-gtdihtk-hyhktjkrk-n/, call the CANSA toll‑free line 0800 22 66 22, or join multi‑lingual support groups on WhatsApp (072 197 9305 for English/Afrikaans, 071 867 3530 for isiXhosa, isiZulu, siSwati, Sesotho and Setswana). CANSA’s free Tele‑Counselling service is also available in seven languages.