It’s the most asked question, and the one with the simplest answer…

“Yes,” says Candice Gardner, Education Manager at Dermalogica.

“Even if the UV index is low, or you’re not planning extended outdoor exposure, you will still be exposed to ultra violet A (UVA) radiation, which can severely damage your skin.

“UVA penetrates deeper into the skin, is present in the same relative levels all day and penetrates cloud cover.”

Message received. So what do the numbers mean?

“The SPF value is relative to the amount of sunscreen agent in the product and the level of filtering this can provide,” explains Candice.

“SPF15 filters 93% UV, SPF30 filters 97% UV and SPF50 filters 98% UV.

“SPF50 uses almost double the sunscreen agent for only 1% more protection, which is why SPF30 tends to be most popular.”

When choosing your sunscreen, you’re presented with a choice - chemical or physical. So which one should you go for?

“Chemical sunscreens penetrate into the superficial layers of the skin, absorb the UV light and convert it to heat, neutralising its impact” explains Candice.

“Physical sunscreens act like a mirror - the particles sit on the surface of the skin and reflect the UV light, preventing it from penetrating and causing damage.

“Chemical sunscreens tend to be preferred for their water resistance and invisibility, while physical sunscreens are tolerated better by sensitive skins.”

Dermalogica’s Invisible Physical Defense SPF 30 offers a great compromise - a weightless, ultra-sheer physical sunscreen, it’s packed full of zinc oxide for repelling UV without irritating your skin, while blending much more effectively than other physical sunscreens

Truly the best of both worlds.

With social distancing and self-isolation in full effect, chances are you’re spending more time at home than you’ve done in a long time.

So do you still need to wear SPF when you’re indoors?

“UVA can penetrate windows and glass, so being indoors doesn’t necessarily mean you will avoid its skin-wearing effects,” explains Candice.

And then there’s blue light to consider.

“Whilst not as powerful as UV light, blue light may also cause skin deterioration in a similar way to UV,” says Candice.

“If you are wearing a physical sunscreen that includes Zinc Oxide, this can also provide blue light protection from computer screens and devices.”

So yes, indoors and out please.

While some moisturisers contain a certain amount of SPF and some sunscreens have moisturising properties, it makes sense to use two dedicated products.

“Moisturisers are designed to balance your skin and reinforce your natural protective barrier, whereas sunscreens offer dedicated damage-prevention from UV,” says Candice.

Basically, they’re designed for different purposes and you want to use them both together for as much protection as possible.

“Then if you have time, try using a Vitamin-C serum before applying your moisturiser and SPF,” continues Candice.

“It adds a fantastic additional layer of defence for your skin.”

One of the longest-enduring skincare myths is that darker skin tones don’t need to wear sunscreen, or at least not one with a very high SPF.

However, that intel is flawed in the extreme.

“Regardless of your skin tone, you should be wearing SPF15 as an absolute minimum,” explains Candice.

“Although physical sunscreens have a reputation for leaving white marks on darker skins, there are now physical sunscreens that work across different skin tones.”

Dermalogica’s Invisible Physical Defense SPF 30 is a case in point, designed to blend easily into all skin tones without leaving any residue.