With Spring, Comes Summer, with Summer, Comes Sun, with Sun, Comes Sunburn

My sister and I went to target the other day to grab a couple necessities and well we just love target. Emily was on the look out for a face lotion with a spf higher than 15, because she has read that as you get older (which she hardly is, silly woman) that you should begin to wear a higher spf. However, she found the higher the spf in the lotions, the more expensive. She then asked, I wonder what the difference between spf 15 and 30 is. Well of course, I had no idea. 

However, this question got me to thinking as I sit under the sun, probably burning. I have quite fair skin and often only wear an spf of 15. 

So of course, the research began. 

First off, what is sunscreen?

Sunscreen is a lotion produced with chemicals to absorb UV light. After sunscreen is applied, and the sun hits one's skin, the chemical molecules form a layer on your skin shielding it from the UV rays.

Fact: there are two different types of UV rays (who knew!)

UVB rays are the rays that affect the top layer of skin, those that produce Burning

UVA rays are responsible for penetrating the lower layers of your skin, responsible for Aging.

How to protect both? Buy broad-spectrum sunscreen!

Now for my question, What is SPF?

SPF actually stands for 'Sun Protection Factor'

Fact: Always wear SPF 15 or higher! Why?

No SPF lower than 15 will protect you from all the UV rays.

What is the difference between SPF 15 and 30?

The different SPFs actually indicate how much longer you can stay out in the sun before burning. More simply (not that, that was confusing) SPF measures 'time to burn'

How to measure how long SPF 15 and SPF 30 will protect you from the sun?

SPF number x Time to burn without sun protection= Time to burn while wearing sunscreen.

Confusing? 

Well for example if my skin were to burn in 10 minutes without wearing any sunscreen and I decide to put on an SPF of 15. Then I would multiply 10 by 15 to get 150 minutes. So the SPF of 15 would protect my skin for 2.5 hours before I would burn.

Percentage of protection from different SPFs:

SPF 15: 92%

SPF 30= 97%

SPF 40= 97.5%

Last important fact: 

Apply sunscreen 30 minutes before exposing your skin to the sun, therefore the chemicals can form that protective layer. 

Hopefully this is informative for all, definitely was for me. For more information go to: gosunsmart.org 

Enjoy the sun!

Sorry, had to do it. This photo is perfect! Mom was always amazing at making me put on sunscreen (minus that one incident, eh dad? ha). Additionally, this is Mom enjoying the sun and her glass of wine. 'I don't care, open a bottle of wine, it's beautiful out!' 

- that's mom for you.