There are two types of UV rays that can cause skin damage. UVA causes wrinkles. UVB causes sunburns. SPF on sunscreen measures the UVB sun protection. If your skin usually turns red in 10 minutes, then an SPF of 30 could stretch that time out to 300 minutes.
Consumer Health Reports recommend for people to buy sunscreens with SPF 30 and above and apply 2-3 tbsp every 2 hours if out in the sun, swimming, or sweating. Try not to spray or rub sunscreen on clothes to avoid staining. Limit sun time, stay in the shad during the hottest times of the day, and wear tightly woven clothing and a hat to keep out sun rays. Do not keep sunscreen past its expiration date or more than 2 years as it could have lost its potency. Beware about buying sunscreen based on brand name alone as they would probably have different performance levels.
High SPF ratings do that mean that one can stay out in the sun longer. Although it protects against sunburn, it doesn’t provide much protection against UVA radiation, which is responsible for skin damage and cancer. It is also important to apply the recommended amount of sunscreen even if the SPF is high.
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