This tanning calculator could be the key to staying safe in the sun

Sunburn. Sunburn. Sunburn. Say it three times in front of a mirror and it is likely to appear. Agree, this sentence could be a tale of an old woman, but the damage that the sun can cause to your skin is certainly not a matter of fun. So, how do you stay safe in the sun? Well, a doctor has created a tanning calculator that tells you exactly how long you can stay in the sun without getting burned.

Dr. Malgorzata Koperska's Omni Calculator is behind smart creation that takes into account a number of factors, including the intensity of sunlight, your exact skin type, and the SPF of your sunscreen.

"It's fantastic that we can find out how UV rays affect our skin so directly," says Dr. Koperska. "The equation that I used to calculate the maximum safety time spent in the sun seems a bit complicated: the skin phototype coefficient multiplied by the SPF of the cream, divided by the current UV index , the altitude coefficient and the reflective coefficient. Yeah, it's also gone on my head.

Fortunately, all you have to do is enter some basic information for the calculator to do its job. These include the intensity of sunlight, UV index, altitude, skin type, and SPF sunscreen. Of course, most of these numbers will be a mystery to the average person, so Dr. Koperska explained how to calculate each one of them.

Amir Kaljikovic / Stocksy

Starting from the top. Next to the calculator, scroll down and you will find a color chart dictating the intensity of the sunlight. While you can stick to the simple mode and estimate the weather on the outside, this site will show you the maximum UV index number that your nearest city will have that day.

The altitude can normally be left as is. If you are on a beach, you should not exceed 1,000 meters, says Dr. Koperska, adding that for every 1,000 meters, the intensity of UV radiation increases by 15%.

The skin type is a bit more delicate. The scientific name for this is the skin phototype and basically means how your skin is sensitive to sunlight. Dr. Koperska notes that the darker your skin is, the more resistant it is to ultraviolet rays.

You can work on your skin type by looking at the color of your skin and thinking about how easy it is to tan and burn. Types vary from I to VI with I being very pale skin that always burns and do not tan at VI being the skin that always darkens and never burns.

The last thing to do is to enter the sunscreen SPF that you plan to use and that's it.

I've been trying to see how long I could potentially tan in my garden for Friday. I live near London, so a quick search revealed that the UV index was seven. A dermatologist once said that my skin was rather pale, so I opted for the phototype II. My usual sunscreen is SPF 30 so I jumped in. It turns out that I can spend seven hours and eight minutes outside today without being burned. (Very accurate, I know.)

A quick change in a vacation climate where I would spend most of the day in a pool revealed that I would only be protected for about two hours and 45 minutes. It's a big difference and something that I really should take into account since I always forget to renew the sunscreen.

The most shocking, however, is that if I were sitting in my garden without sunscreen today, I could get burned after only 14 minutes. * Makes a mental note to store all forms of sun protection. *

Jennifer Brister / Stocksy

Another thing I struggle with is knowing exactly what SPF I should use. You've probably heard that anything over 50 FPS is a scam, but is it really? Well, this clever calculator can work backwards to provide the answer.

Fill the rest as usual, but instead of entering the SPF of your sunscreen, leave this field empty and enter the maximum time you plan to spend basking in the sun. The calculator will then show you the best SPF to stain all over your body. Dr. Koperska says that if the result falls between the numbers, go for the highest because "prevention is better than cure".

But I have just another question. How often are you supposed to apply sunscreen again because I am honestly confused? According to Dr. Koperska, you should apply it 15-30 minutes before going outside and 15-30 minutes after successfully finding a tanning bed. If you embark on something that could make the sunscreen (including perspiration) fade, you will need to reapply.

Happy that everything is settled. Wish me good luck as I try to defeat sunburn once and for all.