Daily sun guide

Sunlight does more for your body than most people realise, and research suggests that short, regular exposure can support heart health as well as vitamin D.

 

But how much is right for you depends on your skin, the weather, and the time of day. The Daily Sun Exposure Calculator works that out. Choose your skin type on the Fitzpatrick scale, set today’s UV index and temperature, and pick your time of day.

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Use this tool to know how much sun exposure you should be getting today, depending on time of day, UV index and the type of skin you have. It shows your UV category, your estimated time to burn, and a recommended number of minutes in the sun.

You can find the UV index of the city you live in on your weather app on you iPhone. If you don't have an iPhone, you can find the UV index of where you live by visiting this. 

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You also get plain-English advice for the conditions you’ve chosen. It tells you when you’re in a good window, when to take extra care, and when UV is too extreme or too low to bother. Practical tips come with each result, such as when to apply sunscreen, which times of day work best, and how to stay safe on hot days. It’s inspired by research from Lindqvist et al. (2016) and Stevenson et al. (2024), and it’s meant as general educational guidance, not medical advice, so anyone with a skin condition, a history of skin cancer, or sun-sensitising medication should check with a healthcare professional first.

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