Sunscreen
shopping made easier!
With the sun shining at its powerful best, a tube of
sunscreen is a must for your skin. Sunscreen, your best friend and defence
mechanism was a simpler product to buy 15 years ago. These days many of us
stand in the sunscreen section of a local supermarket bewildered by the sheer
volume of choices of sun protection; UVA or UVB, SPF 30 or SPF 60? and more. However,
with constant climatic changes and advance technology, researchers have gone
far ahead and created different products for different situations and
conditions. So, now when you go sunscreen shopping you usually see jargons like
SPF, UVA, UVB and much more written in block letters. So along with the
confusion of which sunscreen brand is the best for your skin, these jargons
make matters worse. But don’t worry as they might look scary little scientific
short forms, but are easier to understand if you know what exactly they stand
for and what benefits the sunscreen brand has.
Sunscreen vs. Sunblock
The biggest myth is sunscreen and sunblock is the same. Sunblock shields your skin from the UVA and UVB rays, while sunscreen chemically absorbs them. Though no concrete proof, sunblock is better than sunscreen since it blocks the rays and not absorbs them.
SPF
SPF or Sun Protection Factor along with the number
next to it refers to the degree to which a sunscreen can protect the skin. It
notifies the amount of UVB rays blocked by the lotion. The higher the number,
the more sunburn protection the sunscreen can provide. But at the same time
according to the popular belief, cream with higher SPF doesn’t mean that it last
longer. Higher SPF just shields your skin better than the lower one. So
contrary to what you might think, according to research SPF 15 filters out 93
per cent of UVB rays, while SPF 30 filters out 97 per cent.
UVA or UVB or Board spectrum
The ultraviolet radiations or UV from the sun are
basically of two types UVA and UVB. UVA or Ultraviolet A is longer wavelength
UV radiation that causes deeper penetration, causing damage to the inner layers
of the skin. These damages don’t show up immediately but are harmful in the
long run. While UVB or Ultraviolet B is a relatively shorter wavelength UV
radiation that cause damage to the external layer of the skin like sunburn or
rash. The normal sunscreens available in the market have the formulation to
protect your skin from UVB rays, leaving your skin venerable towards UVA rays.
So, while choosing a sunscreen look for labels which says UVA and UVB
protection or board spectrum.
Water Resistance
This is another term that is usual misleading. Water resistant sunscreen is best for people who are on rigorous outdoor activities and sweat a lot, or entering the water. However, according to FDA water resistance means that whatever SPF sunscreen you use will only be effective for 40 minutes, while the very resistant variant has the capacity to protect you for 80 minutes in water and not more than that. So, while you plan for the pool parties keep time in check, reapply your sunscreen / sunblock again to ensure complete protection
Sunscreen vs. Sunblock
The biggest myth is sunscreen and sunblock is the same. Sunblock shields your skin from the UVA and UVB rays, while sunscreen chemically absorbs them. Though no concrete proof, sunblock is better than sunscreen since it blocks the rays and not absorbs them.
SPF
UVA or UVB or Board spectrum
Water Resistance
This is another term that is usual misleading. Water resistant sunscreen is best for people who are on rigorous outdoor activities and sweat a lot, or entering the water. However, according to FDA water resistance means that whatever SPF sunscreen you use will only be effective for 40 minutes, while the very resistant variant has the capacity to protect you for 80 minutes in water and not more than that. So, while you plan for the pool parties keep time in check, reapply your sunscreen / sunblock again to ensure complete protection
