Practice Safe Sun!

Daily sun protection is one of the most important steps in preventing premature skin aging, UV damage, and, most importantly, skin cancer. Here’s what you need to know about SPF and practicing safe sun habits during summer, and year-round.

An SPF Primer

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. It measures how well a sunscreen protects your skin from UVB rays, the type of ultraviolet radiation primarily responsible for sunburn and a major contributor to skin cancer. Indeed, SPF only refers to UVB protection, not UVA. That is why “broad spectrum” matters — it means the product also helps protect against UVA rays, which contribute heavily to premature aging, collagen breakdown, and uneven pigmentation.

A simple way to explain it: if your skin would normally start to burn after 10 minutes in the sun, an SPF 30 sunscreen theoretically allows you to stay in the sun about 30 times longer before burning.

While higher SPF does block out a higher percentage of UVB rays, "sunscreen math" is incremental only:

SPF 15 blocks about 93% of UVB rays
SPF 30 blocks about 97%
SPF 50 blocks about 98%

No sunscreen blocks 100%.

Important Facts About UV Damage & Skin Cancer

Skin cancer (including basal and squamous cell carcinoma as well as melanoma) is the most common form of cancer in the USA.
Melanoma is the most dangerous form of skin cancer, and can lead to death.
Skin cancer has a lot to do with cumulative sun exposure and sunburns from childhood. While it is never too late to mitigate your own sun exposure, protecting children from too much sun is key to preventing skin cancer in the long run.
Skin type is a factor in the occurrence of skin cancer. People with lighter skin tones and light eyes and hair are more likely to suffer from skin cancer.
The biggest risk factors are sun exposure, as well as tanning salons.
UV rays can penetrate cloud cover and glass (think grey days and car windows) and reach below the water’s surface.

How Should You Protect Your Skin From Sun Damage?

Wear a moisturizer with SPF every single day, no matter the season or if you are planning on going outside or not. Our Protective Day Cream SPF23 is perfect for daily use, year-round.
During beach vacations, wear a face and body SPF of 50+, make sure it is water resistant, and stay in the shade. Reapply your SPF after each swim, after you sweat, or every two hours, whichever comes first.
Wear wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses when planning to spend time outdoors.
Protect your children with extra SPF as well as SPF-resistant clothing.

Finally, remember: daily SPF is as much an anti-aging step as a sunburn-prevention step.