Deciphering the terminology on a bottle of sunscreen can be like reading a restaurant menu in French – if you don’t speak the language – you have no idea what you’re getting…

SPF: The sun protection factor reveals how many minutes that product will protect you from the sun’s harmful UV rays. To work it out, multiply the SPF number by 10. For instance: SPF 30 x 10 = 300 minutes of sun protection. However, that 300 minutes doesn’t take perspiration or water into account so you need to use sensible judgement. A good rule of thumb, regardless of the SPF you use, is to reapply every one to two hours.

Choosing a sunscreen will also depend on your skin tone – if you are fair, opt for a higher SPF.

UVB: is generally thought of as the tanning ray because it simulates the melanocyte cells to produce more melanin, which creates that sun-kissed look. These rays are the most powerful in summer when the earth orbits closest to the sun.

UVA: In a nutshell, UVA rays are the ones that cause ageing and wrinkles. Up until the last 20 years or so, UVA rays were thought to be safe, especially during the 1980s when sun bed popularity was at its peak. However, scientists now believe UVA rays are more harmful than UVB because they possess the same powerful glare all year round regardless of the season.

It’s a good idea to choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen that works against both these rays.