Patch first.
Suncream over the top.
One patch, worn all day. While it's covered it sits at its palest lilac. As the layer over it wears away, more UV reaches the patch and it deepens toward purple — your cue to top up.
Four steps, once a day.
Apply a single Alert. patch to clean, dry skin — the wrist, forearm, knee or leg all work. Press gently around the edges so it sits flush. The patch goes on bare skin, before any suncream.
- Choose somewhere you'll naturally glance at during the day
- The knee or upper leg can hold better than a hairy forearm
- Avoid joints and areas that flex a lot
first
Apply your SPF 30+ as normal — over your skin and over the patch. That layer on top of the patch is what keeps it pale. Follow the directions on your suncream for how much to use and how often to reapply.
- Be generous, and don't skip ears, the back of the neck, tops of feet and backs of hands
- Cover the patch the same way you cover the skin around it
over the patch
Within about 30 minutes the patch settles to a pale lilac. Take a look at it then, so you know what it looks like on you with cream over it. It never goes completely clear — even under a generous layer of SPF 50 it sits at a pale lilac.
- You're watching for the shade deepening, not for it to disappear
- A patch that looks pale in the shade or indoors is simply out of the UV
As UV reaches the patch it deepens toward purple. That's your cue to reapply. Put suncream back over the top and it fades again — the change is reversible and can happen several times across a day. Same patch. New day, new patch.
- Reapply a full fresh layer rather than a token top-up
- No need to peel the patch off and start over
- Replace it if it starts to lift or lose its grip
What the colour
is and isn't telling you.
Alert. responds to the UV that reaches the ink. It does not measure your suncream, it does not measure SPF, and it cannot tell you how protected you are. It tells you one thing, clearly: whether UV is getting to the patch.
How quickly it changes depends on the strength of the UV, the suncream you're using and whether you've been in the water — so we don't put a number of hours on it. Watch the patch, not the clock.
Pale lilac
Little UV is reaching the patch. That might be because there's suncream over it — or because you're in the shade, indoors, or it's under clothing. A pale patch on its own is not a sign that you are covered.
Deepening toward purple
UV is reaching the patch. Reapply your suncream over the top, and over the rest of your skin while you're at it.
Somewhere in between
The shade moves gradually. You're looking for a change from where it settled, not for one exact colour.
Getting the most out of every patch.
Put it somewhere visible
The whole point is that you notice when it changes. Wrist, forearm or knee — somewhere you look anyway. A patch you never see is a patch that won't help.
One patch per person, per day
Each patch reflects the UV reaching that person's skin, so give everyone their own. A pack of 24 covers one person for about a fortnight.
Reapply after swimming
Suncream comes off in the water and on the towel. Reapply after a swim whatever colour the patch is, and put a fresh layer over the patch too.
Cloud is not cover
According to the World Health Organization, up to 80% of solar UV can penetrate light cloud cover. The patch can still deepen on an overcast day.
Check it, don't obsess
A glance when you pick up your phone or sit back down is enough. You don't need to watch it.
Not just for the beach
Snow reflects UV and UV is stronger at altitude, so a ski trip counts too. Alert. works anywhere there's UV.
Do's and don'ts.
Do
- ✓Put the patch on bare skin first, then suncream over the top
- ✓Give it about 30 minutes to settle, then look at it
- ✓Wear it somewhere you'll naturally see it
- ✓Reapply a full fresh layer when it deepens
- ✓Use one patch per person, per day
- ✓Reapply after swimming regardless of the patch colour
- ✓Follow the directions on your suncream
Don't
- ✗Put the patch on over the top of your suncream
- ✗Expect it to go completely clear — it never does
- ✗Treat a pale patch as proof that you're protected
- ✗Use it in place of applying suncream properly
- ✗Read it as a measure of SPF or of how long you've got
- ✗Share one patch between people
- ✗See it deepen and tell yourself you'll reapply later
Alert. is a reapplication reminder, not sun protection. It does not measure SPF and it does not replace suncream. The patch also sits pale in shade, indoors, or under clothing, where little UV reaches it — so a pale patch on its own is not a sign that you are covered. Always follow the directions on your suncream.
One patch. The whole day.
24 patches per pack — one person, about a fortnight.
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