Before you step out of the house this winter, protect your skin from the sun’s harmful rays with SPF. Even though the summer days have long gone, the need for sun protection still remains. Skimping on the SPF can hurt you in the long run, causing wrinkles, skin discolorations and even skin cancer. Here’s what you should know:
What is SPF?
SPF stands for sun protection factor, and is an indicator of the amount of time you can spend in the sun before getting burned. Unfortunately, SPF is only a measurement of protection from the sun’s UVB rays, and not the more silent threats of UVA rays.
What’s the difference between UVB and UVA rays?
UVB rays are the culprits behind nasty, blistering sunburns. UVA rays, however, are the primary cause of skin cancer and wrinkles. You can protect yourself from UVB rays with any type of SPF protection, but you will need to look for sunblock with specific ingredients in order to protect yourself from UVA rays.
Can I protect myself from UVB and UVA rays with a greater SPF?
SPF refers to a product’s ability to protect against sunburn caused by UVB rays. A higher SPF only provides a small increase in protection. To determine if your sunscreen can also protect you from harmful UVA rays, check the formula for one of the following active ingredients:
- Zinc oxide
- Titanium dioxide
- Avobenzone (or butyl methoxydibenzoylmethane)
- Mexoryl SX (or ecamsule)
- Tinosorb
Can I combine two different SPFs to get one SPF number?
Unfortunately, SPF doesn’t work that way. Combining sunscreen products doesn’t mean that their individual SPF numbers will add up to one greater SPF number. However, layering is still beneficial!
Remember to apply sunscreen every day to protect yourself from the sun’s harmful UVB and UVA rays. Even if the sun isn’t shining bright this winter, its rays can still cause damage, reflecting against the clouds and snow and penetrating through glass windows that aren’t coated for UV protection. Applying the right type of sunblock or sunscreen is the only way to ensure you are protecting your skin.
Leave a Reply