This video shows kiwis how to deal with the sun during summer.
A leading skin cancer doctor and academic has lamented New Zealand's high rates of melanoma - and offered Kiwis some sage advice on sunscreens just in time for summer.
Auckland-based Dr Sharad Paul saw little reason for our country to have the world's highest incidence of deaths from melanoma, and was concerned Kiwis - men, especially - were too complacent when it came to skin cancer.
But he also acknowledged a mass of conflicting information on the internet - and startling headlines in the media - could leave people anxious and confused about being sun-smart.
A Consumer New Zealand report this month found that, of 19 products tested, only nine sunscreens met their sunscreen protection factor (SPF) label claim and the requirements for broad-spectrum protection.
Two "natural" sunscreens, which only provided low protection, and a third product, which didn't meet its claims of high and broad spectrum protection, have since been removed from sale.
The Cosmetic Toiletry and Fragrance Association responded by stating all sunscreens sold in New Zealand were safe and had strong enforceable regulation.
Paul said among the most common questions people asked him were what sunscreens to use.
"If you want an ideal sunscreen, fundamentally, you want it to be broad spectrum, which means you get protection against both UVA and UVB."
He said the single best agent to protect against both was non-nano zinc oxide, notably worn by cricketers, which filtered UV and reduced sun damage.
"Zinc, which is in normal sunscreens, is naturally occurring," he said.
"Generally speaking, if you have enough zinc oxide, you will actually have UVA and UVB protection, but the problem is, the more zinc you add, the more white it becomes.
"This make it look like you've got toothpaste all over you, so people tend to dilute it down, and this is where creating formulations gets tricky.
"Natural sunscreens with only zinc don't have UV absorbing chemicals, so it is difficult to achieve high SPF levels and that was essentially what the recent Consumer report revealed."
But people often have philosophical reasons for using natural sunscreens, he added. So there was a place for them and some could be effective. In the industry, zinc and titanium were called "mineral sunscreens".
These were useful UV-filters and are combined with some UV-absorbing chemicals to achieve greater sun protection.
"Organic sunscreens tend to be a misnomer, as organic in chemistry technically means a chemical containing carbon. When it comes to sunscreens, this may mean chemicals that can cause adverse effects.
Auckland-based Dr Sharad Paul saw little reason for our country to have the highest incidence of deaths from melanoma in the world, and was concerned Kiwis - men especially - were too complacent when it came to skin cancer. Photo / File
"People typically think 'organic' means no pesticides or additives – this may be the case for food, but in my view the term doesn't really apply to sunscreen."
Paul also discouraged using sunscreens containing bergamot - which has been known to cause pigmentation and dermatitis – and advised people to be careful using spray sunscreens.
"Spray sunscreens typically need four layers to be effective and it is hard to tell if you have done this when it is invisible. If applying it when you are outdoors, any wind or breeze also makes it hard to tell how much you have applied."
As for SPF levels, he recommended sunscreens of at least SPF30 for New Zealand conditions.
"An easy thing to remember is SPF15 lets in one in 15 harmful rays - in other words, it gives you 93 per cent protection.
"Having said that, SPF 50 lets in one in 50, which means 98 per cent protection, while SPF30 gives you 97 per cent - so it's hardly significant differences."
Again, he said, having broad spectrum was most important - and applying it correctly and consistently.
"Even if you use the right type of sunscreen, a lot of people don't use it properly.
"We need roughly a shot glass - or about 30ml - over our exposed areas, and you need to re-apply it every two hours.
"It's simply not enough to put it on in the morning and think you can go out in the sun all day."
He urged parents to teach kids how to put on sunscreen before they went to school to ensure they were applying it properly at lunch breaks.
"And for babies under 6 months old, it's actually better not to put any chemicals on them at all, but just cover them up as much as possible."
If possible, it was also best to avoid peak UV hours - which he considered generally to be between noon and 4pm in Auckland - and to treat sunburn like a normal burn, with five minutes of cold, running water, and then cold damp cloths, moisturiser and pain medication.
It's simply not enough to put it on in the morning and think you can go out in the sun all day.
If people suspected they might have a melanoma, they should get it checked immediately.
"I think if you are fair-skinned in New Zealand, you'd be foolish not to have a skin check once a year - even when just having a normal health check.
"I teach a lot internationally, and what I find in other countries, especially in Europe, is that men often consult a doctor even if they have the slightest spot.
"I had a guy come see me and I asked him, 'Are you here for a skin check?', and he said, 'I don't know, my wife booked me', and he had a melanoma. So men in New Zealand are sometimes so slack.
"What concerns me is we still have the highest death rates in the world - and we shouldn't, compared with other countries.
"The melanoma rate in Australia plateaued and is now falling, whereas we are typically a few years behind."
Sunscreens: five simple tips from Dr Sharad Paul
• Your sunscreen needs to be UVA and UVB and broad spectrum. • Use at least SPF30 and reapply every two hours - you need about a shot glass-worth for exposed areas. • Use sunscreen with zinc in it – this ensures less UV absorbing chemicals are getting into the skin. • Be cautious of natural, vitamin or organic sounding sunscreens and avoid spray sunscreens. • Teach kids how to put on sunscreen before they go to school and avoid sunscreen on babies under 6 months old.
