Summer is well and truly here as another heatwave hits the UK, and with it comes BBQ season: burgers on the grill, long afternoons outdoors, pool days, garden gatherings, beach bags by the door and the familiar reminder to keep reapplying sunscreen.
But while most of us remember to think about sunburn, far fewer people stop to consider another kind of burn — the one that can happen when certain sun protection products are used too close to heat, sparks or open flames.
It sounds unusual, but it can happen. That is why one of the simplest summer skincare habits is also one of the most overlooked: check the back of the bottle before you use your sunscreen.
Before applying any sun protection, it is worth turning the bottle around and reading the safety information properly. Not just the SPF number. Not just whether it is water-resistant. The directions, ingredients, storage advice, and warning labels all matter.
Some sunscreen sprays and aerosol products contain flammable ingredients. In certain cases, the label may clearly say “flammable” or warn users to keep the product away from heat, sparks, open flames, cigarettes, candles or BBQs.
Those warnings are there for a reason. The US Food and Drug Administration has previously warned that there have been incidents where people applying and wearing sunscreen spray near open flames caught fire and suffered significant burns requiring medical treatment. The FDA also states that flammable sunscreen products must carry warnings advising consumers not to use them near an open flame.
This is particularly relevant during summer, when sunscreen, BBQs, candles, fire pits and outdoor gatherings often end up in the same place.
The concern is usually linked to certain spray or aerosol formats, particularly where flammable ingredients or propellants are used to deliver the product onto the skin. That does not mean every sunscreen is a fire risk, but it does mean the label should be read carefully before use.
Sprays can also be harder to apply evenly. A fine mist may drift in the wind, miss areas of skin, or be inhaled accidentally if used too close to the face. The American Academy of Dermatology advises that spray sunscreen should never be applied near heat, open flames, or while smoking. It also recommends rubbing spray sunscreen into the skin and making sure it is dry before going near any open flame.
That advice is not about causing worry. It is about using sun protection sensibly in real summer situations, especially when people are cooking, lighting candles, sitting near a fire pit or moving between the pool, garden, and BBQ area.
The front of a sunscreen bottle is where the marketing usually lives. It tells you the SPF, the finish, the texture and the big product promise.
The back of the bottle is where the practical information is found. That is where you will usually see how much to apply, how often to reapply, whether the product is suitable for certain situations, how it should be stored, and whether there are any extra safety warnings.
During summer, this becomes even more important. Sunscreen is often left in cars, beach bags, pool baskets, boats, prams, and outdoor kitchens. Bottles are passed between adults and children. Products are applied quickly, sometimes while someone is preparing food, swimming, sweating or trying to get everyone ready to leave the house.
That is exactly when people stop reading the label. And that is exactly when the label matters most.
Good sun protection is about more than choosing an SPF and hoping for the best. It is about choosing products that fit real life and using them properly.
For BBQs, beach days, holidays, sports, travel and long lunches outdoors, that means applying enough product, covering easily missed areas, reapplying regularly and paying attention to what the label says. It also means remembering that shade, clothing, hats, and sunglasses still have an important role to play.
No sunscreen blocks 100% of UV rays. Even with good SPF protection, your skin still needs sensible breaks from direct sun, especially during the strongest part of the day.
At Natural Tone Organic Skincare, we believe summer skincare should be simple, conscious and practical. Sun protection should support the way people actually live in summer — outdoors, active, with family, friends, food and sunshine all part of the same day.
Before your next BBQ, beach day or outdoor lunch, take a minute to check the product you are using.
Look at whether it is a lotion, cream, stick, spray, or aerosol. Check whether the label mentions “flammable”. Read any warnings about heat, sparks, smoking, or open flames. Make sure the product has not expired, and avoid storing it somewhere too hot, such as in a car or direct sunlight.
If you are using a product with a flammability warning, apply it well away from the BBQ, candles, fire pit, or any other flame source. Allow it to dry fully before going near heat or flames, and make sure children are using sunscreen safely and away from cooking areas.
These are small checks, but they can prevent serious mistakes.
Summer should be about warm evenings, good food, time outdoors and feeling confident in your skin. Sun protection is an essential part of that, but it needs to be used with a little common sense.
So enjoy the BBQs. Enjoy the burgers. Enjoy the sunshine.
Before you pass the sunscreen around, turn the bottle over and read the warnings. Check what you are putting on your skin, how it should be used, and where it should not be used.
If your sunscreen says it is flammable, keep it well away from the grill.
Sun protection should help prevent burns — not cause them.
Also read: UK heatwave skin care: how to stay safe, comfortable and golden
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