The way I go on about the risks from the sun, people probably think I am a hermit who stays inside during the long sunny summer months, and you would probably be right. But, this is only because I find the UK heat (when we have it) so oppressive and it plays havoc with my eczema, combine this with hayfever and you start to get the bigger picture.

Being VERY fair skinned, as a kid, I always used to groan because I couldn’t go the same beautiful shade of brown as my friends. If I did catch the sun, I spent a week in bed vomiting with serious headaches and nosebleeds, so I used to cover up and not go out.

SO WHAT IS IT?
Unlike most sunscreens which are generally liquids, creams or sprays, this is a mousse, no, not the kind you eat, but like the stuff you put on your hair, but a lot more aerated. It is designed to protect against both UVA and UVB rays and is available in Sun Protection Factors 8, 15 and 30. Proderm also make an after-sun, a nappy rash product, and a mousse for relieving the itching associated with eczema. The product was originally designed to protect people with eczema and therefore should be safe for those with sensitive skins. My skin reacts appallingly to almost everything, but I have never met a problem with Proderm.

Ponsos has been so successful with its Proderm range that it is now getting ready to float on the stock exchange.

HOW TO USE
The easiest way to describe it for the ladies, is exactly as you would for a hair mousse. Give it a shake, squirt a ball sized amount into your hands and apply to the required area. A little goes a long way, and any surplus will quickly be absorbed into the skin.

WHERE TO BUY IT?
When we first heard about it, it was difficult to obtain. None of the local pharmacies kept it (or had heard of it), and our central Boots had to order it in specially. We were also initially shocked at the price, £12.50 for a can of factor 30, surprised that skin cancer sufferers don’t get it on prescription.

You can also buy an SPF25 at some stores, price is £10.99.

Tasha has been spending her Sundays at the local beach during the recent heatwave, and she has been the only one not to burn, despite being the fairest skinned of nearly all her friends.

Because it is absorbed, if you apply it a short time before covering up with T-Shirts etc, it won’t stain your clothes. Don’t forget, the suns rays can penetrate through most clothing.

While this product is undeniably brilliant, it goes without saying that you should still take sensible precautions in the sun, particularly if you are not regularly exposed to it. There is increasing evidence that those exposed to short bursts of prolonged sun such as family holidays are at a heightened risk of skin cancer, more so than those who are exposed regularly. This does not include sunbeds which are still one of the biggest contributory factors to the condition.

SUMMARY
I can’t rate this product highly enough, if there was 6 stars it would get it. Despite being expensive, although I suspect, not much more than some of the Ambre Solaire and Nivea products, it lasts a long-time. A 150 ml tin of factor 30, combined with 15 for the more generally exposed areas of the body such as the lower arms, can easily last us for two full holidays for 4 and 2 people respectively, plus use in between.