Levels of Protection
SPF was designed to indicate protection against UVB rays, not UVA rays. For complete protection, you also need UVA protection. Check the label. It may or may not be there, but soon the label will tell all. The FDA regulations on sunscreen labelling are being changed. As well as displaying the SPF, sunscreens will use a four-star system to indicate levels of UVA protection. One star will indicate low UVA protection, and on the other end of the spectrum, four stars will indicate the highest over-the-counter UVA protection. Products that cannot even get a one star rating must be labelled "no UVA protection" – as opposed to being silent about their UVA qualities.
Tech Time
Personal UV-monitoring devices are now available. You can get one in as convenient a package as a wristband gadget. Once you are aware of the need to reapply sunscreen regularly, the next step is to remember to do so! This is complicated by the fact that UV intensity changes throughout the day. Now you can use modern technology instead of the old way of pressing your finger against your skin. You will be told when to reapply or whether to get out of the sun based on the amount of UV exposure. Ask your dermatologist or look for it wherever you buy sunscreen.
Too Hot to Handle
Monitor the temperature of the place you store your sunscreen. Here is the concept: sunscreen is applied to human beings to prevent them from getting damaged by the sun’s rays. This does not mean that sunscreen can withstand all temperatures. Excessive heat or coldness will weaken or completely deactivate the ingredients. When you buy sunscreen you want it to keep its potency until it is finished. Think of the temperature it can reach on the human body and use that as the limit. Never leave sunscreen in a hot car or on a bathroom window sill where it can be heated by the sun.
The Irony
Some say a tan actually protects you from the sun. So tanning booths are actually good for you, right? Not quite. You are effectively damaging your skin and getting insufficient sun protection from it. First, any tan is a signal that there has been some amount of cellular damage. The very concept of a tanning booth is that you are getting more compete exposure to radiation than you ordinarily would. Second, SPF protection of about 2 to 4 is what you gain by a tan. This is nowhere near enough to adequately shield you from anything more than fleeting sun exposure. This is connected to our next point.
Who is Exempt?
There’s a widely held belief that people of darker complexions do not need to buy sunscreen. This is incorrect. People of any skin colour can suffer ill effects associated with sun exposure. Nobody is exempt. In addition to the same skin cancer risks that everyone faces, people of darker complexions also have problems with hyper-pigmentation and uneven skin tone.
Waterproof Sunscreen – The Flying Pig
Water-resistant sunscreens are available, but a description as “waterproof” is deceptive. If you have on water-resistant sunscreen and go into the water you need to reapply every 40 minutes. That is the amount of time the FDA guideline spells out for sunscreens labelled water-resistant”. “Very water-resistant” gives you 80 minutes – which is still less than the standard 2 hour “dry” time. That’s one more thing to consider when you buy sunscreen.
For more information regarding sunscreen, check
Buy Sunscreen
