MOST of us like to feel the warmth of the sun on our skins. But are we protecting ourselves enough from sun exposure?

Confusing labelling and the prices consumers have to pay for the most effective sun creams may be preventing us from getting the best protection.

But Dr Andrew Wright, professor of dermatology at Bradford NHS Trust, has a suggestion. He believes that making sunblock a medicine product could be a positive step.

"If sunblocks were considered to be medicines, not cosmetics, they wouldn't carry VAT which would make them cheaper and more affordable," he says.

He also agrees that labelling can be confusing for consumers and suggests that sunblock could be packaged with an information sheet giving guidance or further advice which could be accessed from the bottle via mobile technology.

Dr Wright's comments come on the back of a recent YouGov survey which found a quarter of people didn't know what the rating on their sun protection stood for. The majority didn't know that the Sun Protection Factor (SPF) rating protects them from only some of the sun's harmful rays.

Fewer than half of the 2,057 adults who took part in last month's poll said they always or often use sun protection.

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In response to the poll, the Royal Pharmaceutical Society is calling for clearer labelling amid what has been described as a worrying lack of understanding about the protection they provide.

Both UVA and UVB rays from the sun can cause skin damage and skin cancer. The SPF rating on the product label refers only to the protection level against UVB rays, while a separate star rating usually indicated the protection factor against UVA rays, the society says.

Fifteen per cent of adults with children in the household admitted that they never checked the UVA rating.

Professor Jayne Lawrence, chief scientist for the Royal Pharmaceutical Society, says differences in labels are causing confusion among buyers and called for one clear label to be used across all products.

"This survey indicates that there is a huge amount of confusion around sunscreen labelling that is a barrier to effective sun protection.

"Clearly many consumers do not realise the SPF rating applies only to the amount of protection offered against UVB rays, not UVA rays - both of which can damage the skin and cause skin cancer.

"People should not have to pick their way through complicated dual ratings information to understand how sunscreen works and the amount of protection it potentially provides.

"We think it's time for sunscreen manufacturers to provide one easy to understand rating, based on a simple description of the total amount of sun protection offered, low, medium, high and very high protection.

"People now have largely got the message that they must protect their skin from the sun using sunscreen, along with other precautions such as covering up and keeping out of the sun during the hottest part of the day.

"What the RPS is calling for now is one uniform measure for all skin protection products, so pharmacists can provide easy to understand advice on the effectiveness of products and how they should be used."

Anyone can develop skin cancer but some are more susceptible than others. They include those with fair skin that burns easily in strong sun, have lots of moles and freckles, red or fair hair, light coloured eyes, a personal or family history of skin cancer or a history of sunburn.

Sarah Williams, health information manager for Cancer Research, wants to see more people being aware of using an SPF of 15 or more or even higher and 4 or five stars in UVA.

"I think it is one of those things that SPF has been around for longer and it may be something people are more aware of. UVA stars are a bit newer," says Sarah, referring to why there may be some confusion over sunscreen labelling.

She says the fact that SPF is often used as a reference for sunscreen, may also be confusing to some.

Sarah says another concern is that people rely on sunscreen too much and may feel invincible, but she is keen to emphasise that it should be re-applied regularly and should be used in combination with covering up with hats and other clothing, especially during the hottest part of the day - between 11am and 3pm.

For more information about how to protect yourself in the sun visit Cancer Research's sunsmart.org.uk.