How to choose the sunscreen that's best for you

With skin cancer on the rise, there has been a lot of media attention on the importance of prevention and protection from the sun. Sunscreen is clearly one of the best investments youcan make for your skin, but with so many sunscreens to choose from, how do you know which is best for you?

Cosmetic Solutions has put together some of the most common questions about sunscreen to help you choose the sunscreen that will help you stay protected:

What is SPF?

SPF, which stands for sun protection factor, is the most commonly known identifier of a sunscreen product. An SPF of 10 means that your skin will be able to tolerate 10 times more UVB exposure than an SPF of 1.

This tolerance is defined as UV-induced erythema, more commonly known as sunburn. The intensity of sunburns can vary from person to person and be impacted by environmental elements such as humidity, pollutants, altitude, etc.

What is the recommended SPF?

An SPF of 30 used to be the minimum value recommended; however, this was recently changed to 50 because most people apply sunscreen inadequately.

An SPF of 50 will block 98 percent of UVB rays. Unfortunately there is no sunscreen that will block 100 percent of the sun’s rays. UVB rays damage our DNA and can eventually lead to skin cancer. While UVA rays can also cause cancer they also have aging affects on the skin in the form of wrinkles and decreased elasticity. Look for sunscreens that protect against UVB and UVA rays.

Is there such a thing as “waterproof” sunscreen?

How well the sunscreen stays on the skin after swimming, bathing or perspiring is just as important as the SPF level.

Sunscreens can no longer claim to be “waterproof.” Instead, the term has been replaced with “water resistance.”

“Water resistant” sunscreen retains its SPF value after a 40-minute immersion in a fresh-water whirlpool. Sunscreen that is marked as “very water resistant,” on the other hand, holds its SPF value after 80 minutes of immersion.

How much sunscreen do I need to apply?

We recommend applying one ounce of sunscreen, or ½ teaspoon each to the face, neck, hands, and arms. Apply more sunscreen to the larger areas, such as your torso and your legs.
Always apply sunscreen on cool, dry skin, a minimum of 30 minutes before going outside.

For more information about sunscreen, contact us today.