The Facts About Sunscreen and SPF

SPF stands for sun protection factor. On every bottle of sunscreen you will see an indication of what the SPF is for that particular product, such as SPF 15 or SPF 2. It was thought that double the number meant double the protection from the sun. This is not the case. For example, an SPF of 15 blocks 93% of UV rays while SPF 30 blocks 97%. Not much difference there. The difference actually comes in the much smaller SPF numbers. An SPF of 2 only blocks 50% meaning the difference from 2 and 30 is nearly doubled.

There is no such thing as waterproof sunscreen regardless of what they say. It's true that some sunscreens are made to hold up better when exposed to water, but it is important to reapply any sunscreen you are using even if it says waterproof on the bottle.

Clouds do not protect you from the sun. The sun will reflect of many things like water or even concrete. It doesn't matter if you park yourself under the biggest tree you can find, the UV rays can still find you. Even on cloudy days, it's important to always wear sunscreen.

Dark skin doesn't make you immune to the effects of the sun. Even though not as obvious, dark skinned people can still burn and still be at risk of skin cancer caused by the sun. The EPA says everyone, regardless of skin tone, will benefit by using sunscreen anytime they are outdoors.

You and your children can get your Vitamin D from milk. Sun exposure gives our bodies the ability to produce Vitamin D. This fact is used to argue that some sun exposure is good because sunscreens can block the sun from helping your body produce Vitamin D. As long as you are drinking enough milk to follow basic nutritional guidelines, you should be fine on Vitamin D. Even if not, only a few minutes of sun here and there would be needed to help you produce the Vitamin D you need.

Sunscreen needs to be applied before heading outdoors so it can be absorbed properly. About 15 minutes should do it. Absorbed sunscreen works better and if you wait until your child is showing signs of redness, you might be too late to prevent a bad sunburn from forming. Although it may seem harmless at the time, a sunburn may not show it's effects for many, many years.

Protecting yourself and your family from sunburns should be a high priority. No matter the activity, if it's outdoors, apply sunscreen to everyone.