More than 60 per cent of UK adults have yet to buy sunscreen this year despite a succession of heatwaves, raising concerns that millions are underestimating the risks posed by ultraviolet radiation.
Only 56 per cent of adults in England, Scotland and Wales bought sunscreen during the past two years, according to a survey of 30,000 people conducted by Worldpanel by Numerator for Nivea Sun.
Purchases have nevertheless risen sharply this year. The number of people buying sunscreen increased by 8.5 per cent compared with last year, equivalent to about 1.6mn additional consumers and the highest level recorded in five years.
SPF50 products accounted for almost 30 per cent of purchases, more than twice the share of any other protection level.
The increase has done little to ease concerns among cancer specialists, however, with Cancer Research UK warning that sunscreen use remains too low and that products carried over from previous summers may be less effective.
The warning comes as melanoma cases reach record levels. More than 20,000 new cases of melanoma skin cancer were recorded in the UK in 2022 for the first time, according to the charity, which projects annual diagnoses will exceed 26,000 by 2040.
Caroline Geraghty, a cancer information nurse at Cancer Research UK, said soaring temperatures could distract people from the more important risk posed by ultraviolet radiation.
“With temperatures skyrocketing across the UK this summer, it’s easy to focus on the heat and forget about UV,” she said. “But it’s UV radiation, not temperature, that causes sun damage.”
Melanoma is the UK’s fifth most common cancer, with almost nine in 10 cases linked to excess exposure to ultraviolet radiation.
The distinction between heat and UV is particularly important because the sun can cause burns and skin damage in Britain from mid-March to mid-October, including on days when temperatures are relatively cool.
Cancer Research UK advises people to avoid prolonged exposure to the strongest midday sun, particularly between 11am and 3pm, and to use shade, clothing, wide-brimmed hats and UV-protection sunglasses alongside sunscreen.
Sunscreen should provide at least SPF30 and four or five-star UVA protection and should be applied generously and regularly, particularly after swimming, sweating or towelling.
Consumers are also being urged to check whether older bottles remain suitable for use. The open-lid symbol on sunscreen packaging, showing an “M” followed by a number, indicates how many months the product should remain effective after opening.
“Sunscreen isn’t a suit of armour,” Geraghty said, stressing that shade and covering up remain among the simplest and most affordable forms of protection.
The warning highlights a paradox at the heart of Britain’s increasingly hot summers: while heatwaves can drive demand for sun protection, the temperature itself is not the measure of danger. It is the invisible UV radiation accompanying the sunlight that determines the risk of sunburn and, over time, skin cancer.
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