Call for an instant quote 0345 90 80 161
Open Mon to Fri 09:00 - 17:30 | Sat 09:00 - 16:00 (GMT)
Or call 0345 90 80 161
10 February 2016 08:48
Holidaymakers should be splashing out on sun cream
Many holidaymakers head off abroad each year with just one thing in mind - to soak up as much sun as possible so they can come home with a tan to show off.
But a new report published by the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (NICE) is warning travellers that there is no healthy or safe way to get a suntan.
The report says a tan gives people scant protection against further exposure to sunlight, suggesting that many holidaymakers need to be taking extra care when they are visiting foreign destinations.
NICE says adults need to be putting on around 35ml of sun cream - the equivalent to between six and eight teaspoons - each time they apply it.
And their check-list of holiday essentials should include plenty of sun lotion with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of at least 15 alongside their travel insurance policy, passport and foreign currency.
The advice acknowledges that holidaymakers should be exposing their legs and arms to sunlight for short periods of time in order to benefit from the vitamin D it provides.
The report says people cannot get sufficient vitamin D from sunlight in the UK between October and March or by sitting next to a shut window with sunlight pouring through it.
But the NICE report adds that the vitamin D benefits provided by the sun during the summer months and in warmer climates need to be balanced against the skin cancer risk it poses.
When it comes to holidaymakers protecting themselves from the sun, NICE says they need to avoid applying sun cream too thinly.
And it says while using a high-factor sunscreen can offer people better protection, it does not always mean they can spend longer in the sun without getting burnt.
Holidaymakers should remember to frequently reapply their sun cream, especially when they come out of the swimming pool or sea, even if their sunscreen is a water-resistant one.
And, NICE adds, if they are likely to be out in the sun long enough to risk getting burnt, holidaymakers should apply sunscreen 30 minutes before going out and then again when they actually go outside.
19 March 2019
Looking for adventure? Create your perfect Scandinavian weekend with these alternative city break ideas.
[more...]
Lower your blood pressure with these fresh, healthy foods you can add to your diet.
02 March 2019
A Flybe flight was forced to abort take-off due to the cabin filling with "smoke" while it was accelerating along the runway at Exeter Airport.
01 March 2019
Holidaymakers will soon be able to take advantage of the first direct flight from London to Scotland's Western Isles after Loganair announced three new routes.
28 February 2019
Over one in five women in the UK wrongly think a smear test can detect ovarian cancer, new research has revealed.
27 February 2019
One in 10 UK adults over the age of 40 is living with Type 2 diabetes, new analysis suggests - but the real figure could be much higher.
26 February 2019
British Airways has revealed the second of its series of retro liveries being recreated as part of the airline's 100th birthday celebrations.
23 February 2019
The price of a prescription in England is set to rise again, the Government has announced, in a move some campaigners have called disappointing.
22 February 2019
Just half an hour of exercise every morning could be as effective as drugs at lowering daily blood pressure, research suggests.
21 February 2019
A British man accidentally used the wrong passport to fly from Prague to the UK, leaving his friend stranded in the Czech capital.
19 February 2019
Hundreds of passengers have had their travel plans cancelled following the collapse of airline flybmi.
16 February 2019
Holidaymakers were left fuming after a "lack of clarity" over Brexit led a Romanian airline to cancel flights from Liverpool's John Lennon Airport.