SPF Factor 25: Is It Enough?
At some point, looking at sunscreens, we all wondered what was the best option. Traditionally in life bigger numbers are better. If you reach for the SPF 25 factor, you may still choose a higher number. After all, if SPF 25 is good, shouldn't SPF 50+ be better?
Not really.
You’ve probably heard that SPF (Sun protection factor or sun protection factor) acts according to its own rules. Unfortunately, the SPF scale is not linear. Which means it doesn’t work in a straight line and higher numbers don’t automatically mean more protection.
For example, SPF 100 is not actually twice as strong as SPF 50. In fact, anything above SPF 30 provides very little extra protection.
- SPF 15 blocks 93% UVB rays
- SPF 25 blocks 96% UVB rays
- SPF 30 blocks 97% UVB rays
- SPF 50 blocks 98% UVB rays
To further complicate matters, the non-linear nature of SPF goes both ways. If nanif you use only half the recommended amount of sunscreen, you won't get half the protection. Get itvate square root of SPF. Therefore, half nanoSPF 30 is not SPF 15, already SPF 6.
Are you already dizzy? And us. So, here’s a quick and easy guide to understanding SPF so you have time to focus on the more important things.
SPF one on one
The way it works is as follows: SPF is a mathematical equation. The time it takes for your skin to burn without sunscreen multiplied by SPF to determine how long you can stay in the sun with sunscreen.
This math is problematic for several reasons, the most important of which is: who wants to burn first so that shvatand what SPF do you need? Even though sunscreen should protect you for more than two hours based on the math, experts agree that the best practice is to re nanowashing at least every two hours.
Here, too, high SPFs become a little intimidating. No sunscreen will protect you for 25 hours. Nor will you find an SPF that blocks 100% of UVB rays. But if you use the SPF equation and choose SPF 100, you would think you could be protected for 16 to 25 hours! But that is not the case. There is currently no evidence that an SPF higher than 50 can better protect you. FDA (American Food and Drug Administration) considers that very high SPF can make people think they are much more protected than they really are.
Solution? Follow the simplified expert advice and use SPF 15 every day and SPF 30 for extended activities in open. Don't forget plenty and often nanoapply sunscreen and use other protective factors such as seeking shade or wearing long sleeves and a large hat.
Good choices
When properly nanese, SPF 25 blocks 96% of UVB rays that come into contact with your skin. So yes, for everyday use SPF 25 is enough to be safe.
SPF doesn't tell you how much UVA protection it getsvate. UVA rays penetrate deeper into the skin and are responsible for photoaging and some types of cancer.
Broad-spectrum sunscreens completely protect you from UVA and UVB rays.
Appropriately named, tinted sunscreen is a cream for sunbathing that comes in different shades to better match your natural skin tone. Tinted sunscreens combine broad-spectrum mineral UV filters, such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, with added pigments - pigmented titanium dioxide and iron oxides - that create a visible skin color that can reflect light.
It's good if the cream is "non-comedogenic“. Non-comedogenic cream does not clog pores in the skin. Products with ingredients that cause comedones or clogged pores are called comedogens. A comedone or comedo is a plug of a hair follicle. Keratin (skin residue) combines with oil and blocks the follicle. Comedo can be an open pimple that looks dark by oxidation (blackheads) or a pimple closed by skin (white).
Let's see what else we can do for the skin besides nanoof quality sunscreen, we still have:
- Limit your direct sun exposure, especially between 10 a.m. and 16 p.m., when UV rays are strongest
- Cover yourself, when you are outside, wear wide-brimmed clothes and a hat to protect your skin as much as possible
- Protect your eyes with sunglasses which block at least 99% of UV light