How do you buy the right Sunscreen?

Summer is right around the corner and I'm sure most people are ready to spend some time enjoying the outdoors.  When hitting the beach or going on your favorite hike, you will hopefully apply sunscreen to protect yourself from the dangers of the sun.  However, when you walk down the sunscreen aisle, you may find yourself trying to figure out which one offers the most protection and the best price.  Suddenly, you will be lost in a jungle of SPF numbers and wonder if one is really better than the other.  You then walk out with an SPF 50 bottle that costs you $12 and hit the beach to tackle those nasty UV rays.  But does an SPF 50 offer any more protection than SPF 30?

SPF stands for the Sun Protection Factor.  An SPF of 15 basically means that if your skin burns in 10 minutes without sunscreen, you can go 15 times that without burning.  This is obviously not a hard and fast rule because if it was, then you could use SPF 50 and stay out in the sun for about 8 hours.  I definitely would not recommend that unless you are looking to come home looking extra crispy.  So which SPF should you buy?  The American Melanoma Foundation and the American Academy of Dermatology advises buying an SPF of 30 or greater.  A sunscreen of SPF 30 absorbs about 97% of ultraviolet radiation, whereas an SPF 50+ absorbs about 98%.  Additionally, you still have to apply both of those as frequently as the other.  If you're a perfectionist and looking for 100% protection, you will be disappointed because there are no sunscreens that offer total protection.

When buying sunscreen, make sure you buy one that offers "broad-spectrum protection."  This protects you against UVA and UVB rays.  Both can cause skin cancer, but UVA in particular can also prematurely age your skin.  New FDA regulations in June will require manufacturers to list the types of rays that you are protected against.  They will also eliminate words such as "waterproof" or "sweatproof" since all sunscreen will eventually wash off.  Instead, you will see "water resistant" as a common label.  Regardless of what you buy, you have to apply it early, generously, and often.  Sunscreen should be applied 30 minutes before you go out in the sun and should amount to about 1 ounce (the size of one shot glass!).  It must also be reapplied every 2 hours or in 80 minutes if you go into the water.

Sunscreen is important on sunny days, on warm and cloudy days, and even in the snow.  The sun has the capability to harm you through clouds or while you're hitting the slopes in cold temperatures.  The most commonly missed spots are the temples, the back of the ears, the top of your feet, and under your eyes.  So the next time you're out and about on a warm summer day, remember to apply that sunscreen.    Just remember, it's you against the sun.  You can fight the battle, but one of you is sure to get burned.