SIWON’s Summer Q&A:
The Questions You’re Too Embarrassed to Ask
Summer means sunshine, holidays, beach days… and, inevitably, a whole load of questions about what all that sun, heat and swimming is actually doing to your skin and hair. We get questions by email, Instagram, reviews… and plenty of them come up while people are sitting under a parasol or stretched out on a sun lounger.
“Sorry for the question… this might be a silly one…”
Those are usually our favourites. Because behind a “silly” question, there’s often a myth, a half-truth… or an answer that turns out to be rather surprising. So, here are some of the most common — and most curious — questions you ask us in summer.
“I’M ALREADY TANNED. I DON’T NEED SUNSCREEN, RIGHT?”
❌ If only.
A tan does offer a little bit of protection, but it’s minimal. If you’re going to spend time in the sun, sunscreen is still just as important.
“IF IT’S CLOUDY, I WON’T GET BURNT, RIGHT?”
❌ Afraid not.
Up to 80% of UV radiation can get through clouds. Some of the sneakiest sunburns happen on exactly those days — when you’re not feeling the heat and forget you’re still getting plenty of UV exposure.
“I SPENT ALL DAY UNDER THE PARASOL… AND I STILL GOT BURNT.”
✅ Very common.
Sand and water reflect sunlight, so you can still end up absolutely roasted even when you’re sitting in the shade.
And when it’s windy, you feel cooler — but that doesn’t mean the sun has gone anywhere. You can still be getting properly fried.
“IS LAST SUMMER’S SUNSCREEN STILL OKAY?”
🤷 It depends.
If it’s spent a whole year in the car boot or baking away on the beach, it’s probably best not to play sunscreen roulette.
“DOES SPF 50 PROTECT TWICE AS MUCH AS SPF 25?”
❌ Not quite.
SPF doesn’t work like that. What matters most is applying enough sunscreen in the first place — and remembering to reapply it.
“SEA WATER HEALS YOUR SKIN.”
🤷 Sometimes. Sometimes not.
Sea water may feel good for some people, but for others it can be pretty drying and may even make eczema, psoriasis and other skin conditions worse.
It’s lovely for a swim, but it’s not a dermatological treatment.
“COVERING YOURSELF IN MUD OR WET SAND IS BRILLIANT FOR YOUR SKIN.”
❌ It might feel nice… but don’t expect a free spa treatment.
Sand can exfoliate the skin, but beach mud doesn’t have any special superpowers.
“THE SUN IS MUCH WEAKER IN THE MOUNTAINS.”
❌ Quite the opposite.
The higher you go, the less atmosphere there is to filter out UV radiation. That means you can burn sooner — and more badly.
“I CAN’T GET BURNT WHILE I’M IN THE WATER.”
❌ The water cools you down, but the UV rays are still getting through.
In fact, plenty of sunburns only become obvious after a long swim, when you finally get out and realise just how much sun you’ve had.
“AFTERSUN IS JUST MARKETING WITH ALOE VERA.”
🤷 Not exactly.
It doesn’t replace sunscreen, but aftersun can help soothe and hydrate your skin after intense sun exposure.
“MY SOLID SOAP IS SWEATING.”
✅ Don’t panic.
It’s not nervous. It’s not too hot. And it definitely hasn’t had one too many in the sun.
Those little drops of moisture appear because some of the ingredients in the soap attract water from the air.
“CREAMS GO OFF IF THEY SPEND AN AFTERNOON IN THE CAR.”
🤷 One odd afternoon probably won’t destroy them.
But if your creams spend 15 days of holiday repeatedly baking in a hot car, that can affect their stability.
“PERFUME DOESN’T LAST AS LONG IN SUMMER.”
✅ You’re not imagining it.
Heat speeds up the evaporation of the more volatile fragrance notes, so your perfume can disappear faster in warm weather.
“I’VE GOT A BEARD, SO MY FACE IS PROTECTED.”
🤷 A bit. But probably much less than you think.
If your beard is short or patchy, there are still plenty of areas where sunscreen is needed.
“DOES HAIR GET SUNBURNT TOO?”
✅ Yes — sort of.
Hair, just like skin, suffers from sun exposure. UV radiation damages keratin and hair pigments, which is why hair can look drier, rougher, frizzier or even lighter during the summer.
“IS IT TRUE THAT SLEEPING WITH THE AIR CON ON DRIES OUT YOUR SKIN?”
✅ It can.
Air conditioning reduces the humidity in the room, which can make your skin lose water — particularly if it’s already dry or sensitive.
The answer isn’t to spend the night sweating, though. Keep your skin well hydrated and, ideally, don’t have the air blowing directly onto your face all night.
DID WE MISS ONE?
Probably.
There’s always another question lurking somewhere between the beach bag, the bathroom cabinet and the hotel minibar.
So if you’ve got one of those questions that starts with: “This might be a silly one…”
Drop us a message.
We’ve got a soft spot for them.
P.S.: Our summer Q&A is sponsored by Cocopunch, a solid soap with a piña colada scent and therapeutic properties for bodies that have had a lot of summer thrown at them.