- Protect your skin whenever the UV index is 3 or above — most of the year in much of Australia.
- Use SPF50 or 50+, broad-spectrum, water-resistant sunscreen.
- Apply enough: ~a teaspoon per body area, ~35ml total — most people use far too little.
- 20 minutes before going out; reapply every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating.
- Sunscreen is one of five steps: Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide.
This is the detail behind the most important line in our men's skin health guide. Australia's UV is genuinely extreme, and sun exposure drives most visible skin ageing as well as the bulk of skin-cancer risk. The fix is cheap, fast and daily.
When UV actually matters
Cancer Council Australia recommends sun protection whenever the UV index reaches 3 or above. Crucially, UV isn't about temperature or brightness — you can burn on a cool, overcast day. The Bureau of Meteorology issues daily sun protection times for each area (the window when UV is forecast to hit 3+), and the free SunSmart app shows them for your location. Across much of Australia, that threshold is met for most of the year.
What to use
Cancer Council recommends sunscreen that is SPF50 or SPF50+, broad-spectrum and water-resistant. "Broad-spectrum" means it covers both UVA and UVB; "water-resistant" matters if you'll sweat or swim. Beyond meeting those three criteria, the best sunscreen is simply the one you'll actually wear every day — so pick a texture you don't mind.
How much, and when
Under-application is the most common mistake — using too little can dramatically cut the protection you actually get. As a guide:
- Amount: about a teaspoon (5ml) for your face and neck, and a teaspoon for each arm, each leg, your front and your back — roughly 35ml to cover an adult body.
- Timing: apply 20 minutes before heading outside, on clean, dry skin.
- Reapply: every 2 hours, and after swimming, heavy sweating or towelling off — even with water-resistant formulas.
- Order: if you use moisturiser, put sunscreen on after it; if you wear it under nothing else, straight onto clean skin is fine.
Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide
Sunscreen is one layer, not the whole defence. When UV is 3+, Cancer Council's five-step approach is: Slip on covering clothing, Slop on SPF50/50+, Slap on a broad-brim hat, Seek shade, and Slide on wraparound sunnies. Combining them beats relying on sunscreen alone, especially during the middle of the day.
Protection prevents; checking catches things early. Get any new, changing or unusual spot or mole looked at by a doctor, and consider regular skin checks given Australia's high skin-cancer rates. This is general information, not a diagnosis.
Skin is one piece of looking after yourself properly. When you want the whole thing handled — overseen by Australian-registered practitioners — find your fit.
Join the waitlist →Common questions
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Sources
- Cancer Council Australia — UV Index and when to protect. cancer.org.au/uv-index
- Cancer Council Australia — choosing and applying sunscreen. cancer.org.au/sunscreen
- Cancer Council Australia — Be SunSmart (Slip, Slop, Slap, Seek, Slide; SunSmart app). cancer.org.au/be-sunsmart