Brooke Shields is "vigilant" about protecting her skin.

The 56-year-old actress had a precancerous mole removed from her lip eight years ago and Brooke has emphasised the importance of sun protection, as she believes it is "never too late" to protect her skin.

She told People magazine: "That was just a very scary diagnosis and the fact that it had to be actually cut out of my lip is a terrifying situation to find yourself in. That's when I started incorporating [sunscreen] into my daily routine, not just bringing it with me on vacation or in the summer.

"You get really frustrated because it's considered damage and you think, 'Oh, I've already done it,' but it's never too late to start protecting your skin."

Now, the 'Suddenly Susan' star - who has daughters Rowan, 18, and Grier, 15, with husband Chris Henchy - is teaching her children to think about the future of their health after spending a day in the sun.

She explained: "We don't necessarily think in those terms, preventative.

"I mean, especially for my children, they don't think anything about a future. They just think about themselves in the present now and trying to teach them things like exercise, things like sun protection. And all of those things that we moan and groan about are actually serving you for the future."

Brooke has incorporated three SPF products into her daily routine to help fight sun damage but she claims she doesn't have a "holy grail" product.

Asked what her essential beauty product is, she previously said: "Cleanliness. As long as I keep my skin clean and hydrated. Truthfully, I don't swear by one particular thing.

"Really it’s anything that errs on the side of not chemicals, something that is super moisturising. But, keeping myself hydrated is the main thing. I’ve noticed that the elasticity that comes from hydration is really what I need.

"Although I love Vitamin C, I’ve noticed that products that have Vitamin C really seem to help keep the dullness out of my skin and refresh it. It doesn’t necessarily matter the brand because I don’t have a favourite yet. I’ve only sort of discovered it recently."