UV detection stickers: are they worth buying?

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UV detecting skin stickers are proving popular on social media, especially TikTok.

The idea is that they turn from transparent to purple when your sun cream wears off, so you know it's time to reapply.

But while they may be an interesting mini experiment in checking how well you apply your sun cream or whether it's doing its job, the experts we talked to weren't convinced that UV stickers were necessary or worth it for good sun safety practice.

Here's what you need to know.

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UV stickers contain a skin-mimicking layer with photosensitive dye that reacts to UVA and UVB light, and a layer of adhesive to keep the sticker in place.

The UV layer is purple in the presence of UV light. When you stick it on to clean skin and apply sunscreen over it, you should see it change from purple to clear.

When the sunscreen starts to wear off and is therefore no longer blocking UV, the sticker should turn purple again, indicating that it's time to reapply more sun protection.

This is supposed to help you to keep track and not get caught out by forgetting to reapply your sunscreen.

UV dots are available online from sites such as Amazon (SpotmyUV, £15 for 16 stickers, and Sunny Patch, £10 for 48 stickers). In 2022, Boots launched an own-brand version, Soltan Kids 'Learn to Reapply', but this has now disappeared from sale.

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Clinical trials (including a 2020 study of young Australian rugby players) found that UV stickers can remind people to reapply sunscreen but don't reduce rates of sunburn. This is possibly because, even though the participants were reminded to reapply, they probably didn't do it properly or use enough sunscreen, according to the study's authors.

Cancer Research UK's Dr Julie Sharp told us: 'There isn't reliable evidence to show that UV stickers help us stay safe in the sun. Cancer Research UK doesn't recommend using them as we don't know whether they reduce the chance of being sunburnt and these products aren't tailored to different skin tones.'

A 2020 survey by Cancer Research UK found that more than half of UK parents (52%) said that applying sunscreen frequently enough or applying enough of it were among their main challenges when it came to protecting their child in the sun.

It can be hard to keep track of when it's time to reapply sunscreen, especially with kids. However, generally speaking, none of us apply it often enough – and don't use enough – so always err on the side of caution. It can be helpful to set an alert on your phone to remind you.

Advice is generally to reapply generously and often, at least every two hours, and after activities such as swimming or where you get sweaty, paying special attention to frequently forgotten or more exposed areas.

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Dr Sharp says: 'Too much exposure to UV radiation from the sun is the main cause of skin cancer, but we can take steps to reduce the risk.' These include:

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