Sunscreen

Sunscreen is the one step no skincare routine in Bangladesh can afford to skip, and it is also the step most people quietly abandon. The reason is nearly always the same: the first sunscreen they tried was a thick cream that turned grey in photographs and slid off by midday in Dhaka's humidity. That is a formula problem, not a sunscreen problem, and it is fixable.

What SPF and PA actually mean

SPF measures protection against UVB, the rays that burn. The PA rating (PA+ through PA++++) measures protection against UVA, which penetrates deeper and drives tanning, dark spots and premature ageing. Bangladesh sits close enough to the tropics that UV levels stay high all year rather than only through summer, and UVA passes through cloud and window glass. SPF 50 PA++++ is a sensible default here. SPF 30 is a floor, not a target.

Choosing one that survives this climate

Texture decides whether a sunscreen actually gets used. Gel, fluid and "water-type" sunscreens (mostly Korean and Japanese) absorb in seconds and sit under makeup without pilling. Chemical filters are lighter and leave no white cast; mineral filters such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are gentler on reactive skin but can leave a film on deeper skin tones. If your skin is oily or acne-prone, look for "oil-free" and "non-comedogenic". If it is dry, a sunscreen carrying hyaluronic acid or panthenol can replace the moisturiser you would otherwise layer underneath.

How much, and how often

Two finger-lengths for face and neck, about a quarter of a teaspoon. Applied thinner than that, an SPF 50 performs closer to an SPF 15, which is how people conclude that sunscreen does not work. Reapply every two to three hours outdoors. A stick or a cushion compact makes reapplying over makeup realistic during a working day, which is the only kind of reapplication that happens.

Buying sunscreen in Bangladesh

Sunscreen is among the most counterfeited products in the country: it is expensive, it sells quickly, and a fake is impossible to spot by looking. Buy it sealed, check the batch code against the manufacturer's own system, and treat a price far below everyone else's as the warning it is.