No safe way to get a tan, watchdog warns

  • Health

There is no safe or healthy way to get a tan from sunlight, the health watchdog has warned.

The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence (Nice) has issued new guidance on staying safe in the sun.

It says adults need to use up to eight teaspoonfuls of sun cream per application and should always aim to use one with an SPF of 15 or higher.

It comes as X-Men actor Hugh Jackman posted a picture of himself warning people to use sunscreen after having a cancerous growth removed from his face.

Guidance from Nice on staying safe in the sun

  • Adults should use between six and eight teaspoons (35ml) of sun cream per application

  • Applying sunscreen too thinly reduces the amount of protection it gives

  • People should always aim for an SPF of 15 or higher

  • Higher SPFs - such as 30 - may offer better protection but do "not necessarily mean people can spend more time in the sun without the risk of burning"

  • Sunscreens should be "re-applied liberally, frequently and according to the manufacturer's instructions", including after being in the water (even if it is water-resistant) and after towel drying, sweating or when it may have rubbed off

  • Sunscreen should also be applied twice if people are going to be out long enough to risk burning - once half an hour before going out, and again around the time they go out in the sun