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Sun lotion, is a must have for your holiday if you are going anywhere where the sun shines. However you should be careful about spending over the odds for a brand just as effective as a cheaper one.

 

Sun lotion can cost up to £25 for a 200ml bottle on the high street. Yet it’s possible to grab sun lotion at a fraction of the price from a lesser known brand. Don’t be deterred because you don’t recognise the brand, what’s important is the SPF and UVA rating.

 

The SPF, or sun protection factor, is the level of protection sunscreen gives against UVB radiation, the type that causes sunburn. This is usually on the front of the product.  The higher the SPF the better. The UVA rating, which is usually on the back, is usually a star rating in the UK from zero to five. The higher the number of stars, the greater the protection.

 

Be careful not to waste of money on products you already have. It is very common for people to buy new bottles of sun lotion every time they go on holiday. Often however this is a waste of holiday money as open bottles can still be effective for up to two years!

The main thing to keep an eye on is the Period after Opening (PAO) number on the back of the bottle. This normally looks like a jar with an open lid with a number next to it (eg, 12 or 24). This is the number of months you can keep and use the product for before throwing it away once opened.

 

Sun tan lotions may, given time, start to separate and become less effective, so it’s always worth noting down on the bottle when it was first opened.