Ultimate guide to sunscreen: Everything you need to know

By Twenty Abroad - August 25, 2017



Sunscreen had never been in my daily skincare list until I moved to Australia, where skin cancer remains one of the most common cancer in both genders. But it's not the only reason why sunscreen has become a MUST for me. UV radiation from the sun can cause premature aging by creating free radicals, which are unstable molecules that break down collagen in the skin. Using daily sun protection, thus, is also one of the most effective ways to slow down aging process and keep your skin looking its best.

No matter where you live you still can be exposed to UV rays, so it's really important to protect your skin by wearing sunscreen on a daily basis from now on, if you have yet done it. 

But I know it can be extremely confusing with a huge range of sunscreen products offered in the market. So for those of you who have just started using sunscreen or want to learn more about it, this guide is for you.


UVA
_ What is it?
One of two types of UV rays that breach the ozone layer and cause damage to the skin.
_ What it does to your skin?
Accelerates skin aging as well as contributes to and may even initiate skin cancer.

UVB
_ What is it?
Similar to UVA it is the other type of UV ray.
_ What it does to your skin?
It can be the major cause of sunburn and increased cancer risk.

SPF
_ What is it?
A measure of how well a sunscreen will protect skin from UVB rays.

Here comes the complicated part.

_ How does it work?
A SPF of 30, for example, means that technically you could be out in the sun 30 times longer before you get sunburned than you would be able to if you went out without sunscreen, as long as you keep reapplying it appropriately.
_ What is the ideal SPF number?
The EWG recommends choosing sunscreens within the SPF 15-50 range.
_ So SPF50 sunscreen is the best then?
Yeah... you can say so. But bear in mind that SPF50 actually only gives you 1% more protection than SPF 30 sunscreen, so don't let high SPF products tempt you to apply too little sunscreen and stay in the sun too long.

PPD
_ What is it?
A system used to measure UVA protection in sunscreen in some countries such as Japan and Korea.
_ How does it work?
Just like SPF, a PPD of 8 means that you could be out in the sun 8 times longer than when your skin is unprotected.

PA
_ What is it?
   A system used to categories PPD ratings. Basically, this means that you will not see on the label of sunscreen products the PPD ratings, instead you will see they claim PA+, PA++, PA+++, or PA++++.
_ How does it work?
PA+ = PPD of 2 to less than 4
PA++ = PPD of 4 to 8
PA+++ = PPD of 8 to 16
PA++++ = PPD of above 16
_ Disadvantage:
    There have only been a few countries that adopt this system.

Broad spectrum
_ What is it?
When you see 'broad spectrum' on the label this means that the sunscreen gives both UVA and UVB protection.
_ Disadvantage:
Due to the lax standards for UVA protection set by the FDA, a lot of products which are marketed as 'broad spectrum' don't actually provide good UVA protection.


TIPS: How to know if a sunscreen provides enough UVA protection?
The answer is to look at the ingredients list. The product should contain 3% avobenzone or at least 15% zinc oxide. There is also Mexoryl SX, an ingredient that provides strong UVA protection and appears to be more effective than avobenzone in chemical sunscreen.


Bottom line
As you can see, it’s not that difficult to understand all the numbers mentioned on sunscreen labels. All you have to keep in mind are SPF number when it comes to UVB protection, ‘broad spectrum’ claim, PA, and active ingredients when it comes to UVA protection. 

And another thing to remember, always reapply your sunscreen every 2 to 3 hours. I know it's not an easy thing to do since I can be too lazy sometimes to do it as well but it's really the best way to fully protect your skin from the UV rays. :)

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