ItsNaturallyPure has received a large supply of the hard to obtain natural and organic sunscreen and it’s time to think about how much we know about the sunscreen we use.  What does it mean to us when the products are SPF 15 or SPF 30; which should we use; and what is the danger of using a higher SPF?

SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is a measurement of sunburn protection primarily from UVB rays. If your skin would normally burn after 10 minutes in the sun, wearing an SPF 15 sunscreen would theoretically allow you to stay in the sun for 150 minutes (10 x 15) without burning.

This is a rough estimate.  The safety of your sunscreen depends on your own skin type, whether you are in water or not, how much you sweat, and the intensity of sunlight. Note also that these ratings can be confusing or misleading at times.  For example, the SPF rating tells you about UVB protection, but nothing about protection from UVA rays which cause photo-aging and cancer. In addition, The Food and Drug Administration has expressed concerns that current testing methods may not be able to accurately reproduce SPF values for high SPF products.

The American Cancer Society recommends that people use a sunscreen with SPF of at least 15; the American Academy of Dermatology opts for 30.  Apply sunscreen 20-30 minutes before sun exposure; apply 1 ounce for your entire body; and make sure to reapply every 2 hours, after swimming, sweating, or toweling off.  Most people put on only a 1/4 to 2/3rds of the amount of sunscreen which is recommended to reach the product's SPF rating.

Pick the SPF appropriate for your skin type and sun exposure but remember that UVA protection in U.S. sunscreens maxes out at about 15.  Higher SPF products will not fully protect your skin from photo-aging and cancer.

The danger of using a higher SPF sunscreen is the false sense of security it gives us.  There is a tendency to stay in the sun longer with a single application and to extend time in the sun well past the point when users of low-SPF products head indoors.