If you forgot to put on sunscreen before heading out today, consider this your reminder. You’ll want to make sure you get the right SPF to protect yourself from harmful UV rays, especially with summer 2024 just around the corner after one of the hottest years on record.
What SPF should you use? According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, SPF, or sun protection factor, describes the amount of solar energy required to cause sunburn on protected skin relative to unprotected skin. Logically, then, wearing clothing with a higher SPF will provide you with better protection when you’re out in the sun.
Does it actually matter whether sunscreens with higher SPF are measurably more protective? Dr. Steven Daveluy, board-certified dermatologist and program director at Wayne State University Dermatology, says that in testing, the difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50 is minimal. In one example he gave, there was a difference between a 96.7% block rate and a 98% block rate. Davidruy said in an email that studies of people applying sunscreen in “real life” situations show that higher SPF values are more protective.
Add to that the fact that you may not be applying enough sunscreen—studies show people only apply 25 to 50 percent of the applied amount, Daveluy says—and a higher SPF may provide greater protection.
“When wearing shorts and a T-shirt, you should use about 1 ounce of sunscreen to cover your head, neck, arms and legs,” Daveluy advises, adding that people without hair should use a little more.
“That means a 3-ounce tube of sunscreen only needs to be applied three times,” Daveluy says. “Most people are not using this amount.”
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How much SPF sunscreen do you need?
The American Academy of Dermatology recommends that you use sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher. It also recommends that you look for a sunscreen with broad-spectrum protection (protection against UVA and UVB rays) and make sure it’s waterproof.
“If you follow the recommendations for moderate amounts of sunscreen, SPF 30 is fine,” says Daveluy. However, if you think you’re saving money on layers, a higher SPF may provide more benefits. He adds that he usually recommends buying products with an SPF of at least 50 or 60.
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Does skin tone matter when choosing SPF?
People with darker skin tones have more melanin, which does provide some protection from the sun’s harmful rays. Therefore, skin cancer rates are lower in people of color than in white people, but the risk is not zero. Research also shows that people of color may be more likely to have skin cancer missed or diagnosed late, leading to more dangerous outcomes. (It’s also important to note that melanoma can have other causes besides exposure to sunlight or UV rays, and can appear in areas not normally exposed to sunlight.)
“SPF 30 is the minimum for everyone,” Daveluy says. He adds that tinted sunscreen may be more suitable for darker skin tones, thereby reducing white spots.
“If you have very fair skin, the higher [SPF] Numbers can be a good idea, especially if you’re not using the appropriate amounts, because you’ll be more likely to see the consequences of underuse,” Davilui said.
Are there any “red flags” for sunscreen or SPF?
As long as you have an SPF of at least 30, apply it correctly, and look for products that are broad-spectrum and waterproof, you’ve got the basics down. Daveluy adds that for people with sensitive skin, looking for mineral sunscreens with “zinc and/or titanium active ingredients” may be a good option.
Davilui noted other steps to protect yourself from the sun, including wearing a wide-brimmed hat, wearing sun-protective clothing and hanging out in the shade whenever possible. But don’t forget that sunscreen has a decades-long safety record, he said.
“The biggest red flag for sunscreen is any person or report that tries to tell you that sunscreen is unsafe,” says Davilui.
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