By Thomas Pere

AS people go over their business in the city, many of them grumble over the scorching sun. However, one can bring all the ugly effects of the sun to an end by making sunscreen one of the priorities on one’s shopping list.

By using a sunscreen, you will not need to hide from the glaring sun.

Sarah Nabatanzi, a sales lady at Smiles Beauty Base located on Wilson Road in Kampala, says: “The sunscreen is effective, especially one with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 41 and above, since the sun here is hot.

The number shows how much longer one can stay in the sun without getting sunburned. So, if you normally burn after 20 minutes and you use a sunscreen with an SPF of 15, this sunscreen will give you 15 times the protection – that is
15 x 20 = 300 minutes or five hours.”

Nabatanzi says the sunscreen should be applied on the whole body, especially for those who enjoy swimming or who sweat a lot.
Steven Dowshen, a cosmetics consultant in Kampala, says it is easy for one to get heat exhaustion if one stays in the sun for long.

In severe cases, a person may even collapse. “Heat stroke is a more serious illness and can cause a person to stop sweating or develop red skin and a high temperature. The person may even lose consciousness.”

Becky Namuka of Bonita Cosmetics at JBK Plaza on Luwum Street, says the sunscreens do not have negative side effects. However, there are fake products on the market, so one should be careful when shopping.

In most cosmetic shops and supermarkets, sunscreens cost between sh8,000 and sh15,000, depending on the brand.