With 85% of all melanoma cases caused by the sun’s UV rays, regular application of sunscreen is a must! It can be challenging however to decide which sunscreen will best protect your and your family’s skin. There are so many types of sunscreens on the market and the key to picking the best sunscreen for you is by reading the sunscreen label. We’ve compiled a list below of what to look for on sunscreen labels and the protection they offer. As you read over this list, perform a mental checklist to see if the sunscreen product checks off all the boxes.
1. Broad Spectrum
The term broad spectrum indicates that the sunscreen product offers protection against both UVA (ultraviolet A) and UVB (ultraviolet B) rays. UVA rays are known to penetrate the skin more deeply and cause skin aging whereas UVB rays are the main cause for sunburn on the surface level of the skin. Both rays play an active role in skin cancer development, therefore you’ll need a sunscreen that will effectively shield you from the two.
2. SPF 50+
Ever wondered what SPF stands for? SPF, Sun Protection Factor is used to measure how many UVB rays the sunscreen filters out. It is recommended that you use a broad-spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 50 and reapply sunscreen after 2 hours as all sunscreens lose effectiveness over time.
| SPF | % Of UVB rays filtered out |
| 15 | 93% |
| 30 | 97% |
| 50 | 98% |
3. Water-Resistant
No sunscreen is fully ‘waterproof’ or ‘sweatproof’, however certain sunscreen products will specify whether they remain effective for 40 or 80 minutes when swimming or sweating. While you will still need to reapply sunscreen after 2 hours, water-resistant sunscreens are perfect for when you’re engaging in outdoor activities which involve swimming or perspiring heavily as the sunscreens were formulated to stay on your skin for the specified time when in contact with water.
4. Active Ingredients
On the back of a sunscreen bottle, you’ll find an ingredients list with two main types of active ingredients: chemical and physical. Sunscreen products typically include both chemical and physical ingredients, here’s more information on how they help protect your skin against the sun’s UV rays.
- Chemical ingredients such as avobenzone, oxybenzone, or benzophenone work to actively absorb UV rays. This absorption reduces the penetration of UV radiation into the skin.
- Physical ingredients such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide act like shields on the surface of your skin and help deflect UV rays.
Check out our website for more information on what kind of sunscreen you should look for and more sun safety tips!
Once you’ve chosen your sunscreen using the criteria above, you can start applying it like a pro! This means applying sunscreen daily (one ounce of sunscreen on your entire body, or enough to fill one shot glass) reapplying at least every 2 hours and after swimming or sweating and applying all over!
It’s never too late to start wearing sunscreen!
Even if you’ve never worn sunscreen before, incorporating it into your daily routine starting now can make a huge difference in protecting you from future skin damage. While sun safety is promoted from a young age, it is important at every age that you make skin safety a priority!
Oftentimes, when kids get older, they’re more reluctant to wear sunscreen, it helps to show them that sunscreen is important for everyone including yourself. It can also be effective to remind them that a tan is not only a sign of sun damage but also leads to early skin aging. Yes, this means that wearing sunscreen not only prevents sunburn and sun damage but also protects against photoaging which includes skin wrinkling, age spotting and loss of skin elasticity
Starting today, make skin safety a priority for you and your family and share this blog with others who might find this information helpful!
References
1. How to read a Sunscreen label [Internet]. The Skin Cancer Foundation. 2022 [cited 2022Jul28]. Available from: https://www.skincancer.org/blog/how-to-read-a-sunscreen-label/
2. Nick DeBlasio MD. How to read a Sunscreen label [Internet]. Cincinnati Children’s Blog. [cited 2022Jul28]. Available from: https://blog.cincinnatichildrens.org/safety-and-prevention/how-to-read-the-new-sunscreen-labels
3. What is the difference between UVA and UVB rays? [Internet]. University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics. 2022 [cited 2022Jul28]. Available from: https://uihc.org/health-topics/what-difference-between-uva-and-uvb-rays
