Sunscreen is recommended when UV levels hit above 3 (but even below 3 damage. In Australia, the average peak UV can reach above 12 in most parts of the country and often stay high until after 5pm. Even in winter, many parts of Australia can reach about 3. Most of us apply sunscreen with our morning skin care routine. Sunscreen needs to be topped up every 2 hours to maintain protection as both chemical & mineral sunscreens degrade over time. this means by midday, when the sun is at it's strongest, our morning application is providing little to no protection, when we need it most.