You remembered your face. You remembered your moisturiser. You even remembered your SPF.

But did you get your ears?

When it comes to sun protection, most of us have the basics down. We know SPF belongs in our morning routine, and we know we should be applying it before heading outdoors. But even when we're doing the right thing, there are a few areas that are surprisingly easy to miss.

Usually, they're the places you can't easily see or the areas that don't feel like part of your “face”.

So, before you call your SPF done for the day, here are a few spots worth checking.

1. Your ears

Let's start with the obvious one that somehow isn't so obvious.

Your ears are exposed to the sun just like the rest of your face, but they're easy to forget when you're applying your SPF across your cheeks, forehead and nose.

When applying your SPF, take it over your entire ear, including the front, back and tops. If your hair is tied back or tucked behind your ears, these areas can be even more exposed.

Think of your ears as part of your face when you're applying your morning SPF. They shouldn't be an afterthought.

2. The back of your neck

Your neck often gets divided into two categories: the part you can see in the mirror and… everything else.

We tend to apply skincare down the front of the neck, but the back of your neck can be just as exposed, particularly when you're wearing your hair up or have short hair.

Make sure your SPF extends all the way around your neck and up towards your hairline.

And if you're heading outdoors for an extended period, don't forget to reapply. Your neck is often one of those areas that gets overlooked when you're topping up throughout the day.

3. Behind your ears

If you're thinking, “Didn't we just cover the ears?”

Not quite.

The skin behind your ears and along the back hairline is another easy-to-miss area. It's not somewhere most people naturally think to apply skincare, and your hair can make it difficult to notice whether you've covered it.

When you're applying SPF around your ears, run your fingers behind them and along the hairline at the back of your neck.

It's a small addition to your routine, but it's one less area left unprotected.

4. Your hairline

That little strip of skin where your forehead meets your hair is easy to skip.

You might stop your SPF just above your eyebrows or apply it across your forehead without getting right up to the hairline. This is particularly easy to do when you're trying not to get product into your hair.

Instead, take a little extra care around the edges of your face. If you wear your hair up, have a visible parting or spend a lot of time outdoors, pay particular attention to any exposed skin around your hairline and parting.

You don't need to coat your hair in SPF. Just make sure you're not leaving exposed skin behind.

5. The backs of your hands

Your hands are probably getting more daily sun exposure than you realise.

Think about how often they're outside while you're driving, walking, running errands, sitting at a café or simply going about your day. And because we wash and sanitise our hands regularly, any SPF applied earlier can also be removed throughout the day.

Make applying SPF to the backs of your hands part of your morning routine, and remember to reapply when needed.

A simple trick? Whatever is left on your hands after applying your face and neck doesn't count as your hand SPF. Give them their own application.

6. Your lips

Your lips are another area that can be easy to overlook because we don't necessarily think of them as “skin” when we're applying SPF.

If you're spending time outdoors, reach for a lip product with SPF and remember to reapply it throughout the day, particularly after eating or drinking.

Your usual lip balm, oil or gloss doesn't automatically provide sun protection, so check the label for SPF if you're relying on it for protection.

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Are you using enough SPF?

Now that we've covered where to apply it, let's talk about how much.

One of the easiest ways to accidentally under-apply sunscreen is simply not using enough. A little dab across your face might feel like plenty, but sunscreen needs to be applied generously and evenly to provide the protection indicated on the label.

For your face and neck, try the two-finger rule.

The two-finger rule

Squeeze sunscreen in a line along the length of your index and middle fingers. This is a simple way to measure out an adequate amount for your face and neck.

Then apply it evenly, making sure you don't forget all those easily missed areas we just covered: your ears, hairline, the front and back of your neck and behind your ears.

And remember, the amount you need can vary depending on the area you're covering. If you're applying SPF to other exposed areas of your body, you'll need more.

More sunscreen isn't a bad thing. Under-applying is the problem.

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The other time you're forgetting SPF

It's not only where you apply SPF that matters. It's also when.

SPF isn't reserved for beach days, summer holidays or afternoons spent beside the pool. UV exposure happens during everyday activities too.

• Your morning commute.
• Walking to lunch.
• Running errands.
• Sitting outside for coffee.
• Driving.
• An afternoon walk.

You might not consider any of these a “sunny day activity”, but your skin doesn't know the difference.

That's why making SPF a consistent part of your morning routine is so much easier than trying to remember it only when you think you'll be spending time in the sun.

And don't forget to reapply

Applying SPF once in the morning doesn't mean you're covered indefinitely.

Reapplication becomes especially important when you're spending extended time outdoors, sweating, swimming or towel-drying your skin. And those easy-to-miss areas? They need the same attention when you're topping up.

Think of it as a quick reset:

Face. Ears. Neck. Hairline. Hands. Lips.

Take a moment to check the spots you usually forget.

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Your SPF checklist

Before you head out, give yourself a quick scan:

☐ Face
☐ Ears
☐ Hairline
☐ Front and back of neck
☐ Behind your ears
☐ Backs of your hands
☐ Lips

It doesn't need to make your routine complicated.

It's simply about being a little more thorough with a step you're already doing.

Because when it comes to sun protection, don't just cover the obvious spots.