uva sunscreen

SPF is an acronym for sun protection factor, which is rating from 2 – 70 and refers to the length of time a sunscreen remains effective on the skin. However, the SPF designation is based only on UVB blocking and doesn’t tell us anything about a particular product’s UVA blocking ability. Some new sunscreen formulas protect against UVA, but there have been some worries about ingredient safety.

The higher the number, the more protection a sunscreen formula affords against sunburn. This is not enough protection; therefore, sunscreen with a SPF of at least 15 must be used and reapplied every two hours. While many people rely solely on SPF when selecting a sunscreen, these rankings show that the single number only tells half the story.

Many products on the market bear claims that are considered “unacceptable” or misleading under FDA’s draft sunscreen safety standards. Claims like “all day protection,” “mild as water,” and “blocks all harmful rays” are not true, yet are found on bottles.

It is important to realize that there is no sunscreen that will provide 100% protection from harmful UV rays. FDA has been drafting these standards for 29 years, but has not finished. The analysis found that 84 percent of 785 sunscreen products with an SPF rating of 15 or higher offer inadequate protection from the sun’s harmful rays, or contain ingredients with safety concerns. Ironically, some popular sunscreen chemicals break down when exposed to sunlight and must be formulated with stabilizing chemicals.

Recent research shows that people who buy sunscreens aren’t sure exactly what protection they offer, and are cloudy about the technical terms on their labels. A survey of 235 women who bought sunscreen found they did not know the difference between UVA and UVB or between SPF and UVA.

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