Atlantic Star Safety

Sunscreen

The Truth About Sunscreen

We've all been led to believe that the most important factor when choosing sunscreen is the sun protection factor number. Generally, the higher the number the better right? Well, yeah, sort of. You have to know your math though. The sun protection factor (SPF) is a multiplier. If you can stay in the sun for 20 minutes without burning, and you apply a sunscreen with an SPF of 2, you can stay out in the sun for 40 minutes without burning. Applying a sunscreen with an SPF of 4 means you can stay out for 80 minutes without burning, and so on. Bear in mind that although the job of sunscreen is to block out or absorb ultraviolet light, the SPF only refers to UVB rays, not UVA rays. And you need protection from both.

You can use zinc oxide (the white stuff you see lifeguards wear on their noses) to block UV rays, but if you don't want to go that heavy yet you still want a quality sunscreen, look for one that has para-aminobenzoic acid (PABA) in the ingredients list. PABA blocks UVB rays and will provide you with the most protection; however, if you have sensitive skin, it can cause an allergic reaction. Here are a couple of other chemicals to look for in the ingredients list:

Benzophenones - These absorb UVA rays
Anthranilates - These absorb UVA and UVB rays
Cinnamates - These absorb UVB rays

In order for your sunscreen to be most effective, apply it at least 30 minutes before you heat outdoors. This gives your skin time to really absorb it, and it makes it harder for it to wash off in the water. In addition, you have to apply a lot of it and apply it often--especially after swimming or sweating. (Just because a sunscreen bottle says the product is waterproof doesn't mean you don't need to reapply it.)