Sunscreen Guide for Pakistan: What SPF Means and Which One to Buy

Quick answer: SPF measures protection against UVB, the rays that burn. The PA rating or the words broad spectrum show UVA protection, which drives dark spots. For Pakistan, choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen of SPF 30 or higher, apply about two finger-lengths to face and neck, and reapply every two hours outdoors.

Here is a sentence that will save you more money than any discount: the reason your dark spots keep coming back is that you are not wearing sunscreen. Every brightening serum, every "instant glow" cream, every ubtan home remedy: all of it is bailing water from a boat with the hole still open. The sun creates pigment faster than anything can fade it.

What does SPF actually mean?

SPF measures protection against UVB rays, the burning rays. SPF 30 blocks roughly 97% of UVB when applied properly (American Academy of Dermatology: sunscreen FAQs). The difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50 is about 1% more protection, far less important than applying enough and reapplying, which is where almost everyone fails.

Why does sunscreen matter in Pakistan?

Read next: melasma and dark patches.

• UV levels here are high most of the year. Lahore and Karachi regularly hit UV index 8 to 11 in summer. Above 6 is "high" by WHO standards.
• South Asian skin tans and pigments easily, and our most common sun damage is not sunburn, it is melasma, dark spots and uneven tone. Exactly the problems people then buy brightening products for.
• If you use vitamin C, glutathione, salicylic acid, glycolic acid or retinol, all of them increase sun sensitivity. Actives without sunscreen work against you.

"I don't need it": the myths

• "My skin is already dark." Melanin gives some natural protection, but darker skin still gets melasma, uneven tone and sun damage, often more visibly.
• "I stay indoors." UVA passes through window glass. If you sit near a window, you are getting exposure.
• "It's winter." UV does not take winter off. December sun in Pakistan still pigments skin.
• "My makeup already has SPF." The SPF in makeup and BB creams (including ours; we say this on the product page too) is applied far too thinly to give its labelled protection. It is a bonus, not a defence.

How much to apply: the part everyone gets wrong

The honest dose for face and neck is roughly two finger-lengths of product. Most people use a third of that and unknowingly turn their SPF 30 into an SPF 10. The NHS also says most people do not apply enough sunscreen, and a thin layer gives less protection (NHS: sunscreen and sun safety). Apply as the final step of your morning routine, 15 minutes before going out, and reapply every 2 hours in direct sun.

How do you avoid white cast?

The reason most Pakistanis quit sunscreen: cheap formulas leave a grey-white film on our skin tones and feel like grease in humidity. The fix is a modern lightweight formula that absorbs clear, which is exactly the brief we built the EL TESSA SPF 60+ Sunblock around: no white cast, no grease, comfortable through a Karachi afternoon.

Read next: best sunscreen for oily and acne-prone skin.

Which sunscreen for which routine?

Where does sunscreen go in your routine?

Always last: cleanse → serum → moisturizer → sunscreen. Makeup, if any, goes on top.

General skincare information, not medical advice. Patch-test new products.

Free delivery across Pakistan, pay on delivery (COD) available. One product, worn daily, will do more for your skin over the next year than everything else on this site, and we make the other things too, so believe us when we say it.

Read next: the correct order of skincare steps.

Read next: how to remove a tan from your face safely, a 4-week routine built around daily sunscreen.

Browse all EL TESSA skin care products, with free delivery and Pay on Delivery (COD) across Pakistan.