Heading away? THIS is going to make SUN protection a lot easier

It's fair to say that the Irish are a little lazy when it comes to sun safety and sun screen – and there's a lot research to prove it.

A new study carried out by La Roche-Posay and the Irish Cancer Society has found that 44% of adults only wear sunscreen in Ireland during the summer months with 37% only wearing it when the weather hits over 20 degrees.

And, 12% admit to not wearing sunscreen at all in Ireland due to a belief that they don’t need it because of our weather. Eeek.

We think that a massive reason why we're so relaxed about sun safety is that we are never really sure about how much sun we were exposing ourselves to – until now, this is.

In probably one of the most exciting developments in sun safety, sun experts La Roche-Posay has designed a world-first (Irish-designed) wearable UV monitor which tells the wearer exactly how much sun they’re exposed to, enabling them to protect themselves accordingly.

Called My UV Patch, the monitor is a transparent patch which adheres to the body. The patch contains photosensitive dyes that work with all skin tones, changing colour when exposed to UV rays to indicate varying levels of sun exposure.

The wearer simply takes a photo of the patch and uploads it to the La Roche-Posay My UV Patch mobile app, which will be available on both iOS and Android.

Oh, and did we mention this essential piece of summer kit is FREE? The patch is due to be available in Ireland from July onwards and will be distributed with advice, free of charge, from top dermatologists and GPs. 

“Non-melanoma skin cancer is still the most common cancer in Ireland and we have the highest reported rates of it in Europe,” says Kevin O’Hagan, Cancer Prevention Manager with the Irish Cancer Society.

“When caught in time it’s highly treatable. This means that educating consumers on sun behaviour and UV exposure is extremely important. 

“We hope that the My UV Patch skin sensor will deliver a step change in people’s awareness of UV exposure and sun protection.  It is fantastic to see smart technology being used in this way to help with such an important public health issue.”

You can register for the My UV Patch at www.laroche-posay.ie.