What You Need To Know Before Choosing A Sunscreen!
Okay let’s be real, the reason any of us wear sunscreen is to prevent skin damage and skin cancer. It used to be you would go to the drug store and only have a few options to pick from. But skincare has come a long way, and now there are 100’s of sunscreens to choose from. With so many different options out there how do you know which sunscreen is really protecting you the way it should?
In this post I’m going to break down what sunscreen really does, how to choose the ones with the best protection, and how to effectively use it (because the truth of the matter is, if you don’t use it correctly it can’t do its job to protect you).
PS: when you get to the end of this post I’ve linked some of my favorite face sunscreens for you!
So without further ado - let’s get into it!
WHAT DOES A GOOD SUNSCREEN ACTUALLY PROTECT YOU AGAINST ?
Sunscreen protects your skin from the UV rays that are naked to the human eye; also known as UVA and UVB rays.
UVB Rays - “B” stands for burning - these rays are responsible for redness, sunburns, and skin cancer.
UVA Rays - “A” stands for aging - these rays cause wrinkles, sun spots, other types of premature aging, and cancer.
WHAT DOES “SPF” EVEN MEAN AND WHICH ONES SHOULD YOU USE?
SPF stands for sun protection factor. The number next to SPF on your sunscreen bottle indicates the estimated about of time you could spend in the sun before starting to burn while using that specific sunscreen vs how fast your skin would burn without applying any sunscreen.
For example, imagine your skin normally begins to burn after 10 minutes in the sun without any use of spf protection, with an SPF of 30 it will take 30 times longer before you start to burn, or in this case, 300 minutes.
In a recent article board-certified dermatologist Dr. Anna Guanche explains that the higher the SPF number the greater amount of protection you’ll get from that particular sunscreen. She goes on to say using a baseline of SPF 30 or higher is best.
SPF 15 shields 93% of UVB radiation
SPF 30 shields 97% of UVB radiation.
SPF 50 shields 98% of UVB radiation
SPF 100 shields 99%. of UVB radiation
PRO TIP #1: Using an SPF 30 supposedly covers you twice as long as SPF 15, but that doesn’t have anything to do with how long the sunscreen stays on your skin. Dr Guanche states “Sunscreen should be applied every morning, and reapplied every two hours—no matter the SPF, sunscreen should always be reapplied.”
PRO TIp #2: Reapply sunscreen immediately after getting wet / swimming / sweating.
You might have noticed the SPF ratings only shield you from the UVB rays, which brings me to my next tip.
WHAT LABELS TO LOOK FOR WHEN CHOOSING A SUNSCREEN
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that everyone use sunscreen that offers broad spectrum and water resistance.
BROAD SPECTRUM
This is huge! So listen up! Broad spectrum means you are getting protection against both UVB and UVA rays.
This is important because as I mentioned earlier SPF only measures the protection against 5% of the earth’s radiation - UVB rays. The other 95% of the earth’s damaging radiation is made up of UVA rays and SPF alone does not protect you against those! Unlike UVB rays, UVA rays can penetrate deeper into the layer of your skin AND through both clouds and glass windows - meaning even when you’re in a car or indoors, you are still being exposed to some UV radiation. So when you see the word broad spectrum that indicates the sunscreen is shielding you from both UVB and UVA!
WATER RESISTANT
If you are going to be outdoors, in the water, or sweating this is a label you will want to have on your sunscreen. Water resistant means sunscreen stays effective for 40-80 minutes in the water.
PRO TIP: This does NOT mean waterproof. You will still need to reapply your sunscreen after 40-80 minutes or immediately after leaving the water.
HOW TO USE SUNSCREEN EFFECTIVELY:
Apply sunscreen every single day! In the summer, spring, fall, and winter! Hot days, rainy days, cloudy days, cold days, humid days… all year round. If it’s daytime, your exposed skin should be covered in sunscreen, period!
Sunscreen doesn’t start working instantly it can take up to 30 minutes for your skin to fully absorb it so make sure to apply it at least 30 minutes before you go outside.
To actually achieve the protection indicated on the label you need to apply the right amount of sunscreen to your skin
PRO TIP:
LOTIONS: A good rule of thumb is to use a shot glass full (about an ounce) to cover your entire body. Another way of measuring it is to use a teaspoon amount per body part or area: 1 teaspoon for your face, head, and neck; 1 for each arm; 1 for each leg; 1 for your chest and abdomen; and 1 for your back and the back of your neck.
SPRAYS: It is recommended to apply as much as can be rubbed in, then repeat.
4. Reapply your sunscreen at least every two afters or immediately after you get out of the water.
In the video below Board Certified Dermatologist Dr. Liv shows you how to properly apply sunscreen to your face.
SHOP MY FAVORITE FACE SUNSCREENS!
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