By Jill O'Donoghue from Killarney Toning and Beauty Studio

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and is a measure of how well protected the skin is from UV rays every day of the year not just summer months.

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The main propose of sunscreen is to protect you from UVA and UVB rays, but also from IR, infrared radiation.

This comes from computer screens and phones, amongst other things, and I'm mentioning these as we use them everyday. If you spend money on face creams and having facials, you will understand that to get the full package/results, just how important it is to wear sunscreen. Don't panic, it's never too late to start.

Everyone is on a mission for younger, healthier, glowing skin, male and female. It stands to reason that you must wear SPF. Sun can damage the skin's lower levels if burnt; think of it like a hot water burn. The skin has to work on repairing the damage, instead of maintaining anti-ageing and optimum hydration levels. It takes time to get the right hydration levels back after sunburn as this can cause irreversible skin damage such as early ageing and worst of all, skin cancer.

UVC rays are the most dangerous to us, but natural UVC never gets through the ozone layer, thankfully. UVB rays penetrate the outside layer of our skin, but UVA rays have the potential to penetrate multiple layers.

I am asked all the time about the car widow when driving, can the sun get in? Yes, contrary to popular belief, you should wear sunscreen inside as well as outside especially if you are farming or driving for a living. Truck/taxi drivers have said they feel their skin nearest the window has aged or is much drier than the other side as UV rays can penetrate through glass and reach your skin.

The best way to make sure your skin is protected from the sun 24/7 is to put on sunscreen everyday. To make sure that your skin is protected throughout the day reapply it every two hours. The reason is that all humans sweat. All humans have dirt on their faces and this can dilute the SPF that you apply. If you wear sunscreen all the time your skin will be safe.

Always use a separate sunscreen to your moisturiser or make-up as this is the only way you can be sure that you have the correct amount of SPF on.

If you have any beauty questions call Jill on 064 6632966.