{"id":20109,"date":"2019-07-18T04:00:39","date_gmt":"2019-07-18T08:00:39","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/burnbootcamp.com\/?p=20109"},"modified":"2022-09-20T02:50:54","modified_gmt":"2022-09-20T06:50:54","slug":"sunscreen-101","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/burnbootcamp.com\/sunscreen-101\/","title":{"rendered":"Sunscreen 101"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
\"Sunscreen<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A high SPF and a moderate price tag\u2014that\u2019s how Americans typically\nchoose a sunscreen. We see 50+ on a label and trust it to be effective in\nprotecting our skin. Here\u2019s a surprise: Consumer Reports<\/em>, the Food and\nDrug Administration and many other credible resources have found that our\nbeliefs about SPF, and sun protection in general, aren\u2019t the most reliable\nmeasure of how much protection we are actually getting. In fact, we are putting\nour faith in products that may be doing more harm than good. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Many people wouldn\u2019t think twice about not protecting their skin<\/a>, especially in spring and summer months. There is a wide variety of products and options for anyone in the market for sun protection; however, we hardly question what\u2019s behind the label. Ever see SPF on a label and just think, \u201cYeah, I know I need to be using that\u201d? What about, \u201cOkay, so what is actually in this?\u201d or \u201cWhat the heck am I putting on my skin?\u201d Maybe some of us don\u2019t even know what \u201cSPF\u201d stands for or how it works. Let\u2019s take a look.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What Does \u201cSPF\u201d Mean?<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

\u201cSPF\u201d stands for sun protection factor. This is the familiar number we see on things like sunscreen, makeup<\/a> and lotion. The number is a rating used to measure the amount of time it takes for exposed skin to burn. SPF ratings are given to products as a measure of how well a sun protection product guards against ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, the main cause of sunburn and a contributor to skin cancer. All sunscreens are tested and then labeled with the appropriate SPF value. Higher SPF values are supposed to provide greater sunburn protection. It is important to note here that SPF is only relating to the effectiveness of a product to protect against UVB rays. UVA rays pierce the skin more deeply than UVB\u2014we will touch more on this later.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Higher SPF Numbers Don\u2019t Mean \u201cSafer\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Sunscreen<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

A popular misconception is that the higher the SPF, the more effective\nit is at protecting your skin from sun damage. However, because of the variety\nin types of products as well as intensity of sun, there is a natural variance\nin levels of protection. Ultra-high SPF claims are frequently used on\npackaging, but the U.S. FDA hasn\u2019t approved modern sunscreen ingredients that\nwould do a better job of broad-spectrum protection. A lot of us would be\nsurprised to find out that in other developed countries, SPF is usually capped\nat 50.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

As far as labeling, we tend to skim over the term \u201cbroad spectrum.\u201d It\nis intentionally included for a very important reason that we should not\noverlook. Remember the distinction between SPF ratings and UVB rays? Well,\nproducts that pass the broad-spectrum test can demonstrate that they also\nprovide UVA protection. Therefore, under the label requirements, sunscreens\nlabeled \u201cBroad Spectrum SPF [value]\u201d indicate protection from both UVA and UVB\nradiation. Not all sunscreens are broad spectrum, so it is important to look\nfor it on the label. Broad spectrum provides protection with a chemical barrier\nthat absorbs or reflects UV radiation before it can damage the skin (again, we\nwill get to those chemicals in a moment).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The FDA recommends using broad-spectrum sunscreens with SPF values of\n15 or higher regularly and as directed. In the same vein, as of July 2019, Consumer\nReports<\/em>\u2014which has tested a multitude of sun protection products\u2014has its SPF\nrecommendation at SPF 40. Again, recommendations vary between sources; this is\nto show that \u201cmore\u201d doesn\u2019t always mean \u201cbetter\u201d when it comes to SPF.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How Sunscreen Works<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\"Sunscreen<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

We know that there are two forms of sunrays: UVA and UVB. UVA rays are\npresent throughout the daylight hours, even on cloudy days, while UVB rays are\nstrongest from 10AM to 4PM. So how do we protect our skin against radiation?\nYou guessed it\u2014sunscreen!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Sunscreen helps to filter out UV radiation using a combination of two\nmain types of active ingredients: inorganic particles (which form a physical\nbarrier, reflecting or scattering UV waves) and organic components (which are\nresponsible for the absorption of UV rays, releasing their energy as heat).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ingredients<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The basic ingredients in sunscreens are often similar. Just like any\ndrug, there are active ingredients and inactive ingredients in sunscreen.\nTypically, active ingredients are the ones protecting your skin from the sun\u2019s\nharmful UV rays, while inactive ingredients are all the other ingredients that\nmay be used in formulating sunscreens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some commonly found ingredients are:<\/h4>\n\n\n\n