Ahhhh, Summer! The time of the year when our calendars fill with bbqs, beach vacations, hikes, picnics, gardening, etc. As much as we love these activities, all that time spent outside without sunscreen has its consequences, including aging skin and a higher chance of getting skin cancer. And while it seems everyone knows the risks of unprotected sun exposure and that sunscreen is the NO. 1 SOLUTION for it, only 29 percent or women and 14 percent of men regularly wear sunscreen. What gives? Is it an issue of time? (it takes 2 minutes!) or is choosing the right sunscreen just too confusing? We’re here to break it all down for you and tell you everything under the sun you need to know about those terms splattered across sunscreen bottles. So no more excuses! Consider this your Summer guide to safely enjoying the sunshine.
DECODING THE LABEL
If you’re not already reading the labels of all your skincare products, it is time to start. This is especially important when it comes to sunscreen, since it is associated with a few words that don’t necessarily make part of our daily vocabulary. Here, the 4 most important terms associated with sunscreen and what they mean:
SPF
Standing for Sun Protection Factor, the SPF lets you know how much protection against UVB rays the particular sunscreen will give you, including the amount of time you can be in the sun before burning. For example: if your skin takes about 20 minutes to turn pink, an SPF 30 will allow you to be out 30 times longer than usual in the sun (or 10 hours). However, since most sunscreens start to break down after 2 hours, you will need to reapply. As a side note, it’s important to know that no sunscreen will ever provide all-day protection. Nonetheless, a simple tip to keep in mind when purchasing a sunscreen is that the bigger the SPF, the more UVB radiation is blocked.
BROAD SPECTRUM PROTECTION
These three little words let you know that the sunscreen guards against both UVB and UVA rays. While UVB rays are the ones responsible for burns, UVA rays penetrated deeper and cause most signs of skin aging. However, both can cause skin cancer so when shopping for sunscreen, these are the two little words you should ALWAYS look for.
WATER RESISTANT
We all know what water resistant means- the sunscreen will continue to protect your skin while you’re in the water or as you sweat. But for how long will the water resistant sunblock work under these conditions? The FDA has approved only two time frames: 40 or 80 minutes. After that, no matter how water resistant the sunscreen may be, you must reapply. As a side note, there is no such thing as waterproof formula.
INGREDIENTS- PHYSICAL VS. CHEMICAL FILTERS
These two kinds of filters work to protect skin by deflecting the sun’s rays, but they do it in distinct ways. A physical block is made of titanium dioxide and zinc, gentle ingredients that are great for sensitive skin. This type of filter acts like a barrier on skin, causing UV rays to bounce off. Chemical filters, on the other hand, work more like a sponge, absorbing and capturing UV rays before they penetrate your skin and are the most common in the market. Chemical filters do this with ingredients like avobenzone, oxybenzone, and ecamsule. Out of these, the most worrisome is oxybenzone, which has been found to mimic hormones or cause skin allergies. Therefore, make sure to read the list of ingredients when purchasing sunscreen and always opt for one that offers a physical block.