{"id":4657,"date":"2024-06-24T15:13:30","date_gmt":"2024-06-24T15:13:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dailywashingtoninsider.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/24\/how-does-sunscreen-work-what-you-need-to-know-about-spf-uva-and-uvb\/"},"modified":"2024-06-24T15:13:30","modified_gmt":"2024-06-24T15:13:30","slug":"how-does-sunscreen-work-what-you-need-to-know-about-spf-uva-and-uvb","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dailywashingtoninsider.com\/index.php\/2024\/06\/24\/how-does-sunscreen-work-what-you-need-to-know-about-spf-uva-and-uvb\/","title":{"rendered":"How does sunscreen work? What you need to know about SPF, UVA and UVB"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Summer is finally here, holidays are on the horizon and bottles of sunscreen are being dusted off from the back of the bathroom cupboard.\u00a0<\/p>\n

This is often the time of the year when we start thinking about skin protection – even if we know it should be a year-round concern.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

Some of the UK’s most popular sunscreens have failed safety tests<\/strong>, offering far less protection than promised.<\/p>\n

But from UVA and UVB to SPF, what do all the acronyms on the bottle mean – and what’s important for protecting your skin?<\/p>\n

Here is what you need to know.<\/p>\n

<\/div>\n

What is the difference between UVA and UVB?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are two main types of UV (ultraviolet) rays in sunlight – UVA and UVB.<\/p>\n

A simple way to remember the difference is that A is for ageing and B is for burning.<\/p>\n

UVB reaches the outer layer of the skin, the epidermis, causing most sunburn.<\/p>\n

UVA gets deeper and it is associated with ageing. It damages the collagen and elastin in the skin and causes wrinkles.<\/p>\n

Both types of UV can damage the DNA in our skin cells and cause skin cancer.<\/p>\n

What is SPF?<\/strong><\/p>\n

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and the number represents how much UVB it allows to reach your skin.<\/p>\n

A sunscreen with SPF15 allows one-fifteenth of the sun’s UVB rays in, or about 7%.<\/p>\n

The amount of UV rays filtered depends on the level of SPF.<\/p>\n

\u2022 SPF15 blocks 93% of UVB rays
\u2022 SPF30 blocks 96.7% of UVB rays
\u2022 SPF50 blocks 98% of UVB rays<\/p>\n

The numbers can be used as a guide to how long you are protected from burning, compared to if you weren’t wearing an SPF sunscreen.<\/p>\n

So if you would normally burn after 10 minutes, and you’re wearing SPF30, you could – in theory – spend around five hours in the sun with a reduced risk of sunburn (because 10 x 30 = 300 minutes).<\/p>\n

However, that calculation should be taken with a pinch of salt, because no sunscreen actually blocks 100% of UV rays. That is reflected in the fact that in the EU, the maximum SPF rating is 50+.<\/p>\n

The calculation is also based on the sunscreen being applied exactly as directed.<\/p>\n

What is the star rating?<\/strong><\/p>\n

While the SPF rating will tell you how well a suncream protects against UVB, star ratings are the indicator for UVA protection.<\/p>\n

You should look for a high star rating of four or five stars, according to Cancer Research UK, or “UVA” in a circle, which indicates it meets the EU’s minimum standard.<\/p>\n

What is the UV index?<\/strong><\/p>\n

The UV index tells you how strong the sun’s rays are – the higher the number, the stronger it is.<\/p>\n

On a scale of 1 to 9+, a rating of three or more indicates the sun is strong enough to cause damage and you should use sun protection.<\/p>\n

UV rays are generally strongest between 11am and 3pm and can be strong enough to damage your skin from mid-March to mid-October in the UK, even if it’s cold or cloudy.<\/p>\n

You can check the UV index on weather forecasting websites or apps or by searching online.<\/p>\n

How does sunscreen actually work?<\/strong><\/p>\n

There are two types of UV filters and sunscreens often contain a combination.<\/p>\n

Mineral sunscreen ingredients include titanium dioxide and zinc oxide, which act as a physical barrier that reflects and scatters UV rays away from the skin.<\/p>\n

Chemical sunscreen ingredients include aminobenzoic acid, avobenzone, octisalate, octocrylene, and oxybenzone.<\/p>\n

These absorb the UV rays so they don’t damage your skin.<\/p>\n

Cancer Research UK’s tips for applying sunscreen:<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u2022 Use a lotion, pump-spray or roll-on over an aerosol, as the coverage from aerosols can be patchy and thin.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Put enough on, applying sunscreen evenly and thickly.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Reapply regularly, even if your sunscreen says it’s “once a day” or “water resistant”.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Don’t rely on SPF in moisturiser or make-up, as often these products don’t give enough protection on their own.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Check the expiry date on your sunscreen to make sure it’s still providing protection.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n

This post appeared first on sky.com<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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