Sun care

Our advice for sun protection

When the weather is nice, the temptation to go out in the sun to enjoy the benefits of the sun and its vitamin D content is great. Unfortunately, the sun's effect on the skin can be harmful much more quickly than we think. That's why Eau Thermale Avène has designed sun protection ranges that are suitable for all skin types and for different areas of the body and face. 

To preserve the health and youth of your skin, make sure you apply your sun protection correctly:

• In sufficient quantity. Spread your sun protection product and let it penetrate well.
• On all parts of the body and face that are not protected by your clothes. Don't forget your ears, the tops of your feet, your hands and your temples.
• Every 2 hours and after every swim, even if the sunscreen is waterproof.
• Even when it's cloudy, because the sun's UV rays pass through.

Even with these good precautions, prolonged and too frequent exposure to the sun can lead to sunburn, premature skin ageing and even skin cancer (melanoma). To protect yourself as best as possible in addition to sun care, we advise you to :

• Limit exposure as much as possible, between 12pm and 4pm, when the sun is at its strongest.
• Equip yourself with CE marked 100% UV sunglasses to protect your eyes.
• Wear protective clothing and a wide-brimmed hat.

What sun protection should I choose?

Your photoprotection must protect you from UVA and UVB rays, which is the case with all Eau Thermale Avène sun protection products. To meet the needs of your skin and the type of use, a wide choice of sun protection is proposed:

• A specific range for the particular needs of the most exposed area: the face. Choose a cream if you have dry skin or a fluid if your skin is combination to oily.
• A spray, a fluid, a mist or a body lotion. Their more fluid textures are easy to apply over a large area.
• A sun stick for localized sensitive areas (nose, ears, scars).
• A lip stick to protect this specific part of the face. In addition, our white range with mineral filters ensures sun protection while avoiding the risk of allergic reactions in sensitive skin (children, pregnant women and reactive skin).

What does the sun cream index mean?

The SPF (Sun Protector Factor) measures the protective effectiveness of a sunscreen against UVB rays. This index is calculated in a laboratory according to the time required to obtain a sunburn with and without the product. However, in practice, many parameters come into play to vary this time. This is why you should choose the SPF of your sun protection according to the conditions of sunshine (mountains, boat...): protect yourself with a high SPF in case of intense UV.

How to tan without getting sunburnt?

• Apply sun protection regularly. For the first few exposures, start with an index 50 and then adjust the index according to your tan. If you have fragile skin, maintain your index 50 in all circumstances. But never forget to use sun cream, since a tanning effect does not provide more than the equivalent of an SPF 6.
• Expose yourself gradually, in short intervals, giving your skin time to rest.
• Avoid exposure during the hottest hours and watch out for the mirror effect of water.
• Moisturise your skin daily, as a tan lasts longer on well-moisturised skin.
• A good evening routine is to take a cool shower with a mild soap-free product, soothe your skin with a spray of Eau Thermale Spray and then apply an after-sun moisturiser.