Introduction to SPF: Key Things to Look For and Remember

Time and time again, dermatologists, beauty editors, and celebrities alike cite SPF as one of, if not the most essential skincare step to ensure healthy and young-looking skin for life. The sun's rays, while important for all life, can cause severe damage to our skin from everything from painful peeling burns, to premature wrinkles, age spots and hyperpigmentation as we get older, to, yes, even melanoma (skin cancer). I did an article awhile back outlining a little bit about the differences between physical and chemical sunscreens and also some of the natural plants being researched for their naturally-occurring sun shielding powers. But today, I thought it would be important to take a look at all forms of SPF in general and discuss some key things to remember in looking for one.

What SPF Really Means: The letters SPF stand for Sun Protection Factor. The different ratings of SPF (SPF 15, SPF 30, SPF 50, etc) are measuring the product's ability to guard against specifically UVB rays. UVB rays are the burning rays and are the ones that cause the most topical damage to the skin and are responsible for the majority of skin cancers brought on by sun damage. The specific numbers of an SPF rating refer to how long it would take for UVB rays to redden and burn the skin after applying the product according to the directions on the bottle (both in amount and waiting for the product to soak in before applying anything else on top of it or before going outside) versus how long it would take for you to get burned without wearing sunscreen at all.

Always Look For Broad Spectrum: In addition to UVB--the burning-- rays, there is another type of ray that we need to be wary of, UVA. UVA rays are known as the aging rays and are what causes the long-term and long-standing side effects of sun damage that may not show up for decades. These include things like permanent dark spots, melasma (brown-tinted hyperpigmentation), and deep wrinkles. To insure, you're getting protection from UVA rays as well as UVB, check your sunscreen and make sure the words "broad spectrum" are printed on the container. It is becoming more common for sunscreen products to protect against both kinds of rays and more and more, companies are including UVA ratings as well as SPF ratings on their labels. UVA ratings are given in stars, rather than in numbers, going from 0 to 5 stars. A 3-star rating indicates about 60% of UVA rays being blocked, but most experts agree that a 4-or-5-star rating is more ideal, corresponding with an SPF of 30 or higher.

Water-Resistant Is Key: Even when not swimming, water-resistance is still something to look for in choosing your sun protection products. Even minimal sweat can cause sunscreen formulas to break apart and wear down prematurely. Also when you are out splashing in the pool or ocean, not only might you be washing off your sunscreen, but the water itself also reflects the sun's rays, making the effects of the sun on your skin twice as strong as they would be. Using a water-resistant sunscreen ensures you're protected better, for longer. When spending a lot of time outdoors and especially in hot or humid weather, most health professionals recommend reapplying any sunscreen to both the face and the body every two to four hours. If the day is spent mostly inside, however, or in rainy or cool weather, applying once a day should be sufficient.

Everyone Needs SPF Regardless of Skintone: It can be easy to assume that if you are not of a fair or light skintone, that your need for SPF either is dramatically lowered or does not exist at all. This, however, is not the case. While it is true that people with deeper brown and black skintones are significantly less likely to develop skin cancer than those with lighter skin, sun damage still occurs on deeper skintones in the form of painful burns, the breaking down of collagen that leads to premature aging and more sensitized skin overall, as well as elevating the risk for brown spots and other forms of hyperpigmentation. So in all of these realms for comfort, health, safety, and looking your best for life, always be sure to stay safe in the sun and not to skip applying sunscreen.

The realm of sun protection and the science behind current and emerging SPF products is far too much, and far too important, to cover in just this one article, so I will be turning this topic into a little miniseries on La Petite Rose. Next week, I will be posting an article on another commonly-debated question relating to SPF: is the sunscreen in your foundation enough sun protection? Why or why not?