Every summer, the same story: we all buy sunscreen, but the spots on the skin appear anyway. The problem, experts say, is rarely the cream - most often it is the way we use it. Pharmacist and dermopharmacy specialist Alejandra Caratala points to three mistakes almost everyone makes, and it is precisely these that cause the spots.

The first: we apply too little product. The protection written on the bottle only holds if a sufficient amount is applied - and most people put on a thin layer that falls far short of the promised factor. The second: we use it only when it is sunny. An illusion. As much as 90 percent of ultraviolet rays reach the skin even on cloudy days, and the damage builds up quietly, all year round, not just at the beach.

The third mistake is the most forgotten: we do not reapply the protection. Sunscreen does not last all day - it wears off through friction, sweat, water, ordinary everyday movement. Without reapplying every few hours, the protection practically vanishes while you think you are covered.

A number worth remembering: according to experts, about 80 percent of premature skin ageing comes from accumulated sun exposure, not from age itself. Fifteen minutes in strong sun is enough for the damage to begin. So the advice is simple - a broad-spectrum product that protects against both UVA and UVB rays, a light texture you will actually enjoy using every day, and the understanding that the SPF in make-up is a supplement, not a replacement for real sunscreen. The skin has a long memory; what we do to it now, it carries for decades.