How’s Your Sunscreen I.Q?

Summertime is fast approaching and I have been doing a lot of research before heading to the drugstore to buy a product to protect me from the sun. If you are like most people, I venture to bet, the first thing you look for is the SPF rating. After completing this project, my thinking has drastically changed at the way I choose my sunscreen

SPF(Sun Protection Factor) rating pertains to protection from UVB  rays only or how long you are protected from burning. The SPF rating is calculated by comparing the amount of time needed to produce a sunburn on protected skin to the amount of time needed to cause a sunburn on unprotected skin. A high SPF does not translate to better protection. But it's a good idea to buy a sunscreen offering SPF 30 level.

UVB (ultraviolet  B): short-wave solar rays of 290-320 nanometers. More potent than UVA in producing sunburn, these rays are considered the main cause of basal and squamous cell carcinomas as well as a significant cause of melanoma.

SPF rating does not consider damage from UVA rays which are the ones responsible for aging This is why the advice is to always go for a sunscreen that offers broad spectrum protection as you will need protection from both UVA and UVB rays.

UVA (ultraviolet-A): long- wave solar rays of 320-400 nanometers (billionths of a meter). Although less likely than UVB to cause sunburn, UVA penetrates the skin more deeply, and is considered the chief culprit behind wrinkling, leathering, and other aspects of "photoaging." The latest studies show that UVA not only increases UVB 's cancer causing effects, but may directly cause some skin cancers, including melanomas.

What's the Difference Between a Sunscreen and Sunblock?

Sunscreens are the most popular at the moment. Available in creams, lotions and gels, they contain chemicals that absorb UV rays. They are also inconspicuous on the skin. The chemicals that are most often found in sunscreens include PABA, Benzophenones, Cinnamates, Salicylates.

Sunblocks instead of absorbing UV rays, reflect them At one time sun blocks could be spotted by the opaque while film, but new technology has created sun blocks with particles so tiny that the opaque film is no longer noticeable. Chemicals most common in sunblocks include Titanium dioxide and zinc oxide.

Broad spectrum protection

Select a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of at least 15. Broad spectrum products provide protection against both UVA and UVB radiation

Look on the ingredient labels for oxybenzone, sulisobenzone, avobenzone (Parsol l789) , ecamsule, titanium dioxide or zinc oxide.

Take note of the actual content of the sun block protection ingredient. The first ingredient in your sunscreen should be zinc oxide .The top rated sunscreen is Soleo Sunscreen Organic Chemical Free SPF30 which contains 22.3% zinc oxide. This will give you a guide of what to look for.

Frequently the labelling of ingredients on sunscreens is so small and the ingredients so numerous, it is better to jot down the names of the products you are considering and check out their rating on the Skin Deep Database.www.cosmeticsdatabase.com