Secret symbol on your suncream bottle you really shouldn’t ignore
We all know how important it is to make sure we've put suncream on when heading out in to the scorching sunshine.
But a warning has now been issued over a little known symbol on the back of every bottle of suncream that you should really take note of before applying.
If you don't, you leave yourself open to being burnt and with that, the chances of developing skin cancer later on in life.
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With the United Kingdom currently enjoying a spell of decent weather and sunshine, with temperatures hitting the mid 20s for millions of Brits, making sure you put on some suncream when appropriate is important.
And with a summer on the horizon where parts of the country will enjoy temperatures of 31C, taking chances is really not an option for yourself or those you care for.
Sure, sunburn hurts. But the risks are so much more serous than temporary blistering for a few days.
To avoid this, make sure you top up and then reapply if you're staying outside for extended periods of time. When doing this, though, there are a few symbols on the back of bottles that you should take note of.
You might have seen them by chance. We're on about numbers and letting that often looks like '12M' or even '18M'.
Nina Goad, of the British Association of Dermatologists (BAD) told The Sun most suncreams last 'about a year from when they are opened'.
Goad said: "But the best way to check is to look for a symbol on the packaging of an open jar, with numbers inside to represent the number of months you can use it for.
"It lasts from the date you first opened the bottle. So 12M in the jar symbol means it lasts a year from opening."
Goad said: '"Most packaging filters out UV rays but it's still best to store sunscreen out of sunlight and in a cool place, to stop it going off.
"If it goes lumpy or the liquid separates, or it smells funny, you know it's time to bin it."
The NHS says that you should be topping up with suncream that is a minimum of 30 SPF (sun protection factor), which will protect you against UVB rays.
The cream should also be at least four-star UVA protection. How many stars it is will be on the bottle itself.
The NHS says: "Sunburn increases your risk of skin cancer. Sunburn does not just happen on holiday. You can burn in the UK, even when it's cloudy. There's no safe or healthy way to get a tan. A tan does not protect your skin from the sun's harmful effects.
"Aim to strike a balance between protecting yourself from the sun and getting enough vitamin D from sunlight."
Tom Earnshaw