We get lots of questions about our sunscreen, which is great - knowing as much as you can before buying sun protection will help you make an informed decision and in turn, protect the health of your skin.
How long does the sunscreen last?
The SPF number relates only to the burning UVB rays and is basically a time guide calculated according to individual skin type, not an indicator of strength.
For example if your skin burns easily and would turn red within say 10 minutes of unprotected sun exposure, our SPF 30 mineral sunscreen should give protection for 5 hours - (SPF) 30 x 10 mins (burning time) = 5 hours.
The ‘reapply after 2 hours’ recommendation really only relates to chemical sunscreen agents which suffer photo-degradation, where their effect gets ‘used up’ through interaction with sunlight.
Is your sunscreen waterproof?
No - no sunscreen is! You must always reapply sunscreen after being in the water.
Is your sunscreen 'reef safe'?
Absolutely! All of our ingredients are natural, sustainable and independently certified by the Soil Association, who have strict standards when it comes to purity & environmental toxicity.
What is the % of zinc content?
We don’t display the % of zinc in our sunscreen, because in Europe the minerals aren’t listed separately as ‘active ingredients’ as they are in the USA.
Displaying zinc content is a little misleading, by giving the impression that the more ‘active ingredient’, the more effective the product, which isn’t always the case!
The level of protection shouldn’t depend on one particular ingredient. Antioxidants can contribute hugely to the sun protection factor and we tend to think of all our sunscreen ingredients as actives. For instance, a good formula containing 15% zinc oxide could have a higher SPF than a poor formula with 25% which also shows how important laboratory testing is!
So for a true comparison, I would look for the UVA in a circle symbol which indicates that the important UVA protection level for the product has been certified in tests to match the SPF (UVB).
Our SPF 30 sunscreen is rated as providing ‘high’ level, broad spectrum UVA and UVB protection.
Does your sunscreen contain nanoparticles?
No. All our products are certified by the Soil Association who were the first organisation to ban the use of nanoparticles to safeguard the public. Their exacting standards give our customers an independent guarantee that our products contain no nanoparticles.
What is the Boots star rating?
Our Sun Screen doesn’t carry the old Boots star rating, but complies with the now widely used UVA PA system (based on but considered superior to the PPD method). According to EU legislation, a sunscreen has to achieve the ratio of at least 1/3 of the SPF in order to use the UVA in a circle symbol. This signifies in the case of high SPF (ie from 30-50), an equally high level of UVA protection.
The UVA in a circle does seem a rather vague representation of ‘high’ level in the circumstances and now that some countries indicate the highest level of UVA protection as PA++++ instead of PA+++, it may add to the confusion.
Why doesn’t Odylique sunscreen have a star rating?
The star rating system belongs to Boots the Chemists and is no longer available to all. Our sunscreen complies with the now widely used UVA PA system, where according to EU legislation, UVA protection has to achieve the ratio of at least 1/3 of the SPF in order to use the UVA in a circle symbol. On an SPF 15-25 product this indicates moderate UVA protection and on an SPF 30-50 product such as ours, a high level of ‘broad spectrum’ protection.
Some countries express this high level of UVA protection as PA++++.
Help! My sunscreen isn’t coming out of the tube:
If you find your sunscreen isn't coming out of the tube with ease, it is most likely because the ingredients inside are too cold and have solidified (sometimes that is the nature of nature!). To help, please warm the tube (whether it be in between your hands or placing in direct sunlight for a few minutes) and the sunscreen should slide out with ease.