Six things you need to know about sunscreen

If you use sunscreen in the summer, you often use it for long periods and on a large part of the body. That is why it is important to use an allergy-friendly sunscreen. Here are six useful tips from Asthma-Allergy Denmark that allow you to get the most out of the summer months.

1. Use Asthma Allergy Nordic and The Blue Label as a guide

When you use sunscreen with Asthma Allergy Nordic and The Blue Label, the ingredients have been assessed by us. Thus, you do not have to worry about what you apply to your and your family's skin, but can concentrate on enjoying the holidays instead. In our database Kemilex you can find the many sunscreens that carry our label , under the category ‘Sun products’.

2. Good to switch product throughout the season

It is a good idea to switch between different products. That way, you are not exposed to exactly the same substances throughout the season. This reduces your risk of developing allergies to certain ingredients.

3. Choose the right sun protection factor (SPF)

The higher SPF you use, the higher the content of UV filters. Therefore, you need to adapt your SPF to your skin's need for protection. Some UV filters may cause allergies when exposed to sunrays, but if you choose as low a SPF as possible, you will reduce the amount of UV filter that your skin is exposed to.

4. Sunscreen may remove nail polish

It is easy to understand that it may raise concern if your sunscreen suddenly removes your nail polish. But it is actually completely normal and completely harmless. Sunscreen often contains oils that are friendly to the skin. These oils may dissolve nail polish just like the oils in regular nail polish remover. It is impractical, but completely harmless.

5. Keep an eye on the durability

Do you have a small stock of unused sunscreen from last summer? You do not need to discard it, but check the shelf life on the back of the container to make sure that the sunscreen can still be used. If it smells bad or has the wrong consistency, do not use it. This may be caused by bacterial or fungal growth in the cream, and that is not good for your skin.

6. Look for our label when buying sunscreen abroad

If you run out of sunscreen while on holiday, you can find sunscreens with Asthma Allergy Nordic and The Blue Label abroad – check our world map and see if there are sunscreens with The Blue Label and the label of Asthma Allergy Nordic in the country where you are vacationing.

If you cannot find products with Asthma Allergy Nordic and The Blue Label, you can read in our database Kemilex about all the ingredients that may be present in the sunscreens you have access to. Then you can check if the product contains allergens and find the best sunscreen among the selection that is available.