Sunscreen & SPF – Swiss Protection

Swiss Sun Protection

If you use one product from this site consistently, make it this one. Photoageing — the loss of elasticity, the pigmentation, the fine lines on exposed areas — is largely cumulative UV damage, and it is far easier to prevent than to treat. Everything else in a routine works better against a stable baseline. At Swiss altitudes this matters more than at sea level: UV intensity rises roughly ten percent per thousand metres, and snow reflects up to eighty percent of what reaches it.

What the numbers mean

SPF measures protection against UVB — the wavelengths that cause burning. SPF 30 filters about 97 percent of UVB, SPF 50 about 98 percent. The gap between them is smaller than the numbers suggest, but it is not nothing, and higher factors buy margin against the fact that almost nobody applies the full test quantity. UVA protection is a separate matter: it penetrates deeper, drives ageing and pigmentation rather than burning, and passes through window glass. Look for a UVA seal or PA rating alongside the SPF, not just the SPF alone.

Mineral or chemical filters

Mineral filters — zinc oxide and titanium dioxide — sit on the surface and reflect. They start working immediately, suit reactive skin, and are the usual choice for children, though they can leave a white cast. Chemical filters absorb UV and convert it to heat. They are lighter, more cosmetically elegant under makeup, and generally give better UVA coverage in modern formulations, but need around twenty minutes to become effective. Many Swiss formulations combine both.

Applying enough

This is where most protection is lost. The tested quantity is 2 mg per square centimetre — roughly a level teaspoon for the face and neck alone, which is several times what most people apply. Underapplying an SPF 50 gives you something closer to SPF 15 in practice. Reapply every two hours in direct sun, and after swimming or heavy sweating regardless of what the label claims about water resistance. Do not rely on the SPF in a foundation or a day cream as your only protection; the quantity applied is far below the tested amount.

Year round, not just summer

UVA levels stay meaningful through winter and pass through cloud and glass. For daily city use, an SPF 30 day fluid is enough. For mountains, snow or extended time outdoors, use SPF 50 and reapply properly. Pair with our brightening range if you are treating existing pigmentation — without daily protection, new pigment forms faster than existing pigment fades.

Shipping from Switzerland

All products are authentic and sourced directly from Swiss manufacturers or their authorised distributors. Free shipping within Switzerland from CHF 100, worldwide from CHF 300. Dispatched from our Lausanne base.