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Good Question: What SPF Is Enough For Sunscreen?
On the lakes, at the golf course, or hanging around the home--the Minnesota
summer sun is burning brightly. And burning foreheads. So when it comes to
sunscreen, what SPF is enough?
"Fifteen SPF or 30 are the numbers to look for," said Dr. Gretchen Phillips, a physician at Fairview Lakes Medical Center.
However, those are among the lower numbers you'll find on the shelves at your local store. SPF 50 is common. There's even SPF 80 and 100 now.
"These new SPF's that talk about 50 and 100 give you a false sense of security," said Phillips. Because SPF stands for "sun protection factor," it translates to a multiple of the normal time you could spend in the sun without burning.
If you normally can be outside for 20 minutes without burning, SPF 15 extends that 15 times, for a total of five hours. SPF 50 would let you be outside for 16 hours, in theory.
"You think when you put it on, you're good all day," said Phillips. But that's not practical, because "the sweat, the water, being active, rubbing on towels, and rubbing on your clothes make it less effective."
Doctors recommend reapplying sunscreen every two hours, regardless of the SPF. That makes the difference between SPF 15 and SPF 50 negligible.
According to the New York Times, SPF 30 blocks almost 97 percent of the sun's UVB rays, the rays linked to skin cancer. SPF 50 blocks 98 percent, while SPF 100 blocks 99 percent.
"Anything more than a 30 or 45, you're not getting much more protection," said Phillips.
Researchers have found the biggest sun protection factor is the amount of sunscreen you wear. If you don't apply enough of it, it's a major problem. In fact, dermatologists recommend wearing one ounce of sunscreen on an adult body. If you wear half, it's not half as effective. An SPF 50 works more like SPF 7 and SPF 30 more like an SPF 4 if you wear a half-ounce.
"Think about a family of two or three people, you should go through a bottle of sunscreen in an afternoon," said Phillips. "Every single day, if you're going to be outside for more than 10 minutes, put sunscreen on."
"Fifteen SPF or 30 are the numbers to look for," said Dr. Gretchen Phillips, a physician at Fairview Lakes Medical Center.
However, those are among the lower numbers you'll find on the shelves at your local store. SPF 50 is common. There's even SPF 80 and 100 now.
"These new SPF's that talk about 50 and 100 give you a false sense of security," said Phillips. Because SPF stands for "sun protection factor," it translates to a multiple of the normal time you could spend in the sun without burning.
If you normally can be outside for 20 minutes without burning, SPF 15 extends that 15 times, for a total of five hours. SPF 50 would let you be outside for 16 hours, in theory.
"You think when you put it on, you're good all day," said Phillips. But that's not practical, because "the sweat, the water, being active, rubbing on towels, and rubbing on your clothes make it less effective."
Doctors recommend reapplying sunscreen every two hours, regardless of the SPF. That makes the difference between SPF 15 and SPF 50 negligible.
According to the New York Times, SPF 30 blocks almost 97 percent of the sun's UVB rays, the rays linked to skin cancer. SPF 50 blocks 98 percent, while SPF 100 blocks 99 percent.
"Anything more than a 30 or 45, you're not getting much more protection," said Phillips.
Researchers have found the biggest sun protection factor is the amount of sunscreen you wear. If you don't apply enough of it, it's a major problem. In fact, dermatologists recommend wearing one ounce of sunscreen on an adult body. If you wear half, it's not half as effective. An SPF 50 works more like SPF 7 and SPF 30 more like an SPF 4 if you wear a half-ounce.
"Think about a family of two or three people, you should go through a bottle of sunscreen in an afternoon," said Phillips. "Every single day, if you're going to be outside for more than 10 minutes, put sunscreen on."
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