Sunscreen Protection – How Important is High SPF?
High Protection SPF – Is It Necessary for Sun Protection?
May 21, 2009
A rich, golden tan may look beautiful with a summer dress and sandals, but the damage it does to skin and health is not so pretty. The rate of melanoma skin cancers are on the rise, a cancer that has a poor prognosis unless treated early. For this reason, more people are visiting the beach wearing a layer of protective sunscreen to enjoy some fun in the sun with less risk of sun damage. These days sunscreens can be found with very high SPF values, some going as high as seventy or more; but is it really necessary to buy one of these high protection SPF sunscreens?
What is SPF?
The term SPF stands for sun protection factor. It’s a measure of how long a person can stay in the sun without burning compared to someone who’s not wearing sunscreen. A person wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of 30 should be able to stay in the sun thirty times longer without burning than someone wearing no sunscreen. For example, if it takes a person twenty minutes to burn with no sunscreen, the person wearing sunscreen can remain in the sun for thirty times twenty minutes or six hundred minutes without burning when wearing a sunscreen with an SPF of 30.
Is SPF the Full Story When It Comes to Sun Protection?
The sun protection factor measures only UVB protection and doesn’t take into account the effects of UVA rays which can also cause skin damage, but are less likely to cause visible burning. UVA rays are known to cause skin wrinkling and loss of elasticity. Many of the newer sunscreen products contain additional chemicals that protect against UVA rays and this is usually clearly stated on the label. Sunscreen products that contain zinc oxide and titanium oxide provide good UVA protection.
Should You Pay More for a Sunscreen with a High SPF?
In most cases, an SPF of 30 provides enough sun protection for a casual day at the beach unless there’s a history of skin cancer. Using a sunscreen with an SPF greater than this value adds little additional benefit and also increases exposure to other sunscreen chemicals. Some of these chemicals have been shown to have estrogen-like properties on breast tissue in cell culture. When it comes to using sunscreen with a high SPF, a sunscreen with an SPF of 20 usually provides enough protection. The advantage of using one with an SPF of 30 is it gives additional margin for error if not enough is applied.
What’s the Bottom Line on High Protection SPF Sunscreens?
Don’t be swayed by the advertisements for sunscreens with high protection SPF values. A sunscreen with an SPF of 30 with UVA protection should be more than adequate for sun protection if applied properly. Better to spend a little extra on a sunscreen with organic ingredients instead.
References:
Journal Watch Dermatology. October 1, 1997
