PHOTOS: 11 surprising things you probably didn’t know about sunscreen …
PHOTOS: 11 surprising things you probably didn’t know about sunscreen …
Photo: Courtesy TNS
11 things you may not know about sunscreen:
Your sunscreen may not protect you from cancer
There are two types of sunscreen in the world – types that protect you from UVB rays, which cause sunburn, and types that protect you from both UVB and UVA rays, which cause cancer. If you’re not buying a sunscreen that is labeled for both, you’re not fully protected.
Fortunately, the FDA introduced new labeling rules in 2012 that only allow sunscreens to be labled “broad spectrum” if they protect against both UVA and UVB rays. And, sunscreens that don’t protect against skin cancer must include a warning label to that effect.
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11 things you may not know about sunscreen:
Your sunscreen may not protect you from cancer
There are two types of sunscreen in the world – types that protect you from UVB rays, which cause sunburn, and types
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The American Academy of Dermatology says creams are best for dry skin and the face, while gels may work better for hairy areas. Sticks are available to apply sunscreen around the eyes, especially for children. Be careful when using sprays to be sure you apply enough, and don’t use sprays around heat, open flame or while smoking.
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The American Academy of Dermatology says creams are best for dry skin and the face, while gels may work better for hairy areas. Sticks are available to apply sunscreen around the eyes,
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Certain sunscreens may be purchased using Flexible Spending Account funds, which you can have deducted from your paycheck pre-tax to help save on medical expenses. The sunscreen must be SPF 30 or higher to qualify. Lotions (such as cosmetics) containing sunscreen are not eligible. Some retail websites will label their products as “FSA eligible” to help shoppers find what they need.
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Certain sunscreens may be purchased using Flexible Spending Account funds, which you can have deducted from your paycheck pre-tax to help save on medical expenses. The sunscreen
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The FDA says a sunscreen with 30 SPF or higher protects against 97 percent of the sun’s rays. While higher SPF products provide more protection, no SPF level protects 100 percent. The FDA has proposed a regulation that would limit the SPF value on a sunscreen label to “SPF 50+.” The FDA said it has no data to show that SPF higher than 50 provides additional protection from the sun.
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The FDA says a sunscreen with 30 SPF or higher protects against 97 percent of the sun’s rays. While higher SPF products provide more protection, no SPF level
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Just because you have sunscreen on does not mean you should stay out in the sun all day. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends staying in the shade when the sun’s rays are strongest, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Being near water, snow and sand, which reflect the sun’s rays, increases your chances of being sunburned.
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Just because you have sunscreen on does not mean you should stay out in the sun all day. The American Academy of Dermatology recommends staying in the shade when the
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A recent study found that when applied regularly, sunscreen can help prevent the skin from aging, in addition to providing skin protection.
A recent study found that when applied regularly, sunscreen can help prevent the skin from aging, in addition to providing skin protection.
The American Academy of Dermatology says most people only apply 25-50 percent of the recommended amount of sunscreen. Dermatologists say the right amount for the average adult is enough to fill a shot glass. And don’t forget your ears, hands, tops of your feet and lips.
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The American Academy of Dermatology says most people only apply 25-50 percent of the recommended amount of sunscreen. Dermatologists say the right amount for the average
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The FDA requires that all sunscreens last for three years at their original strength. If your sunscreen is past its expiration date or has undergone a noticeable change in color or consistency, it’s time for a new bottle.
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The FDA requires that all sunscreens last for three years at their original strength. If your sunscreen is past its expiration date or has undergone a noticeable change in color
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Photo: Mark Hall, Getty Images
The FDA advises parents of babies under 6 months to keep the baby out of the sun instead of applying sunscreen. Babies are at greater risk of overexposure to the chemicals in sunscreen due to thinner skin that absorbs sunscreen more quickly and a higher surface-area to body-weight ratio.
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The FDA advises parents of babies under 6 months to keep the baby out of the sun instead of applying sunscreen. Babies are at greater risk of overexposure to the chemicals in
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Sunscreen manufacturers are no longer allowed to market a sunscreen as waterproof or sweatproof, according to the new FDA guidelines released last year. Sunscreens may be labeled as water or sweat resistant for one of two time periods: 40 minutes or 80 minutes.
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Sunscreen manufacturers are no longer allowed to market a sunscreen as waterproof or sweatproof, according to the new FDA guidelines released last year. Sunscreens
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UVB rays, which commonly cause sunburn, can’t pass through glass, but UVA rays can, the American Academy of Dermatology says. And UVA rays are responsible for premature aging, wrinkles and age spots, in addition to skin cancer.
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UVB rays, which commonly cause sunburn, can’t pass through glass, but UVA rays can, the American Academy of Dermatology says. And UVA rays are responsible for premature aging, wrinkles
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Photo: Kelvin Murray, Getty Images
It’s really hot. That means the roof terraces, beer gardens, and parks are all rammed full of people soaking up the rays.
But it also means bad tan lines and sunburn — especially among those people who “refuse to wear sunscreen in the UK.”
Sunscreen is the best protection you have against the harmful UVA and UVB rays from the sun. UVA radiation affects elastin in the skin, so prolonged exposure causes wrinkles and brown pigmentation, as well as skin cancer. It penetrates the skin more deeply than UVB rays, which cause sunburn and also types of skin cancer.
A sunscreen with high SPF (which stands for sun protection factor) will block the rays by absorbing them and giving the energy back out as infrared.
A common belief is that the higher the SPF, the better the protection. While this is true, you don’t actually have to wear anything above SPF 30, as Twitter user Jonathan Hume pointed out.
SPF is the most commonly known metric, and is a measure of how much UVB is blocked.
However, the scale isn’t linear. SPF50 doesn’t block twice as much as SPF25.
According to the British Association of Dermatologists, SPFs are rated on a scale of 2-50+ based on the level of protection they offer. But SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays, and SPF 50 blocks 98%, so the increase in protection above 30 is pretty minimal.
“We recommend a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 as a satisfactory form of sun protection in addition to protective shade and clothing,” the BAD says on its website.
There’s also another rating you should look at for protecting your skin. It’s called the star rating, and it’s a measure of how much UVA is blocked.
The scale goes from 0 to 5, with 3-star cream blocking about 60% of the amount of UVA as UVB rays. Basically, you want a suncream that is at least 4-star.
“Be aware that if you choose a low SPF it may still have a high level of stars, not because it is providing lots of UVA protection, but because the ratio between the UVA and UVB protection is about the same,” the BAD says. “That’s why it’s important to choose a high SPF as well as a high UVA protection.”
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