SPF numbers, reapplication myths and the honest minimum for a country with 350 days of sunshine.
In the Emirates, sunscreen is not a beach product — it is daily medicine. UV index here regularly exceeds 10; meaningful photo-ageing happens through car windows and on school runs, not just on Saturdays at Kite Beach.
The honest minimum
SPF 30+, broad-spectrum, every morning, two finger-lengths for the face and neck. The difference between SPF 30 and 50 matters far less than the difference between applying enough and applying a mist.
Reapplication, realistically
Indoors at a desk, your morning application largely holds. Outdoors, sweating or swimming — every two hours, no negotiation. A powder or spray SPF over makeup is an acceptable compromise; skipping it is not.