The Sun Zapper blog

Sun safety hub.

Plain-English guides to UV, SPF, zinc and staying sun-safe in the UK, from the Aussie zinc brand that's been at it since 1995.

Start here

Kids

How to Read the UV Index in the UK

UV burns you, not heat. Here's how to read the UV index and what to do at each level. Then upload a featured image, ideally a sunny beach or kids-in-the-sun photo, and give it alt text such as: Family on...

1 min read

Latest guides

Sun safety in a minute

Know your UV index.

UV is what burns you, not heat. The UV index tells you how strong it is, and in the UK it can be strong even on a cool or cloudy day.

  1. 1–2 Low Low risk for most people. Sunglasses on bright days.
  2. 3–5 Moderate Protect yourself. Shade at midday, cover up, hat, sunglasses and sunscreen.
  3. 6–7 High As above, and cut your time in the sun between 11am and 3pm.
  4. 8–10 Very high Extra care. Stay in the shade between 11am and 3pm if you can.
  5. 11+ Extreme Avoid being outside around midday. Take every precaution.

Check the daily UV forecast in your weather app or on the Met Office website. Levels from the World Health Organization's UV index.

Slip, slop, slap, seek, slide

  • Slip

    Slip on clothing that covers your shoulders, arms and legs.

  • Slop

    Slop on SPF 30 or higher before you go out, and reapply at least every 2 hours.

  • Slap

    Slap on a wide-brimmed hat that shades your face, neck and ears.

  • Seek

    Seek shade, especially between 11am and 3pm.

  • Slide

    Slide on sunglasses with a CE or UKCA mark and UV protection.

The five S's come from Australia's SunSmart campaign, which we grew up with. Water, sand and snow reflect UV, so take extra care at the beach and on the slopes.

Pack the zinc

Sun-safe starts with zinc.

Zinc sticks for noses, cheeks and ears. Pure Zinc for everything else. Australian made since 1995.

Shop zinc sticksShop Pure Zinc