Keep your nose in the sun during coffee – wonderful! But: Should we already smear ourselves with sunscreen? And if so: can it be from the previous year? Here you can find out how dangerous the spring sun really is.
You were only a big walk to enjoy the warm spring sun. But back home, a delicate reddening on the face is immediately noticeable in the mirror: a sunburn. And that in spring?
Less protection from the ozone layer in spring
Yes, because even now in March the UV radiation of the sun can damage our skin. And so that not only ensure sunburn, but also deposit our risk of skin cancer – if we don’t protect ourselves well enough.
In spring there is a special feature, as the Cologne dermatologist Uta Schlossberger explains: The ozone concentration in the atmosphere is lower than in summer.
To do this, you have to know: The ozone layer looks like a protective shield because it intercepts part of the UV radiation and does not even make it meet the earth’s surface-and our skin. “So you can get a sunburn very quickly if you think: it is only spring, so you can sit in the sun unprotected,” says Uta Schlossberger.
In addition, our skin saw little sun in the winter months, which makes it even more sensitive to UV radiation.
Should I protect myself from the sun in March?
A look at the weather app brings clarity: in many of them the UV hazard index can be found. The German Weather Service also provides it on its website. On a scale from 1 to 11+ it is indicated how high the health risk from UV radiation in the respective region is.
The Federal Office for Radiation Protection (BFS) advises to protect the eyes and skin from a value of 3 from the sun. According to the authority, this can be reached in Germany from March. In Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg, there can also be a value of 4, as evaluations show.
To lubricate yourself with sunscreen is an important beginning – but you shouldn’t rely on that alone. According to the BfS recommendations, good sun protection also includes the best way to spend the lunch hours in the shade and think of sunglasses and headgear such as hat and cap.
Check the sunscreen from last year carefully
And can you still use the sunscreen from last year? According to Uta Schlossberger, this is often not a problem. “However, you have to do a few tests, for example, smell it,” says the dermatologist. “If she smells strange, she has to go.”
Even if the sunscreen has separated into a water and a layer of fat, you should no longer use it. According to Schlossberger, the tube or bottle, which was in the car for months and was exposed to large temperature fluctuations, also belongs in the garbage.
By the way: The symbol on the packaging, which provides information about the durability of the sunscreen, is an open crucible with a figure, for example “18 m”. In this case, the sunscreen can be kept for 18 months, explains the industrial association for personal care and detergent (IKW). Important: Time only runs from opening the sunscreen. This is the only way to get air to the product – which has an impact on its effectiveness over time.
If you find a sunscreen marked with “12 m” or “18 m”, which was opened last summer vacation, you can still use it. In rarer cases, there is also a concrete best-preservation date on the packaging, according to the IKW-often in connection with an hourglass symbol.
Read more on utopia.de:
- Sunscreen for children in the test: All test winners 2022 to 2024
- Can adults use children’s sunscreen-and the other way around?
- 5 sunscreen rules: How useful are they?
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