What does SPF really mean?
To many people the term SPF seems simple enough, but it doesn't tell enough of the story to allow you to make an informed choice for protection. Under current FDA regulations, SPF numbers indicate how long it would take for UVB rays to burn you with sunscreen applied as opposed to having no protection. SPF ratings do not take into consideration the damaging effect of UVA radiation which can damage the skin without burning. Recent studies indicate that UVA radiation, which penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB, is the major cause of premature skin aging and is also a significant cause of skin cancer, perhaps more damaging than UVB radiation.
Sunscreens can be formulated to protect you against both UVB and UVA radiation and these offer "Broad Spectrum" protection. Without "Broad Spectrum (UVA/UVB) protection you are more at risk of harmful radiation. All of our products are formulated to provide UVA/UVB protection.
How high of an SPF do I need?
Many people think that a product with an SPF 30 is twice as good as an SPF 15. It really isn't as simple as that, and keep in mind that SPF deals only with UVB radiation. How much better is SPF 30 than SPF 15? Here's how to tell...
% of UVB rays blocked % of UVB rays penetrating
SPF 15 94% 6%
SPF 30 97% 3%
You can see that SPF 30 "blocks" only an additional 3% of UVB radiation over the SPF 15, but that difference at this level is significant. However, since the percentage of penetrating UVB rays is already small, SPF 30 can claim to be twice as effective as SPF 15 by cutting UVB penetration from 6% to 3%. Now, after this level, all of the higher SPF formulations have to deal with this remaining narrow band of 3% of UVB penetration. Consequently, the FDA is proposing that SPF claims of over 50 be prohibited in future labeling regulations.
Is better information on the horizon?
The FDA is proposing new labeling regulations that will address both UVA and UVB radiation. The proposed labeling will make it easier for the consumer to see at a glance the protection provided against UVA and UVB radiation.
|
|
