SPF, or Sun Protection Factor,is a measure of how well a sunscreen will protect skin from Ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, the kind of radiation that causes sunburn, damages skin, and can contribute to skin cancer.
If your skin would normally burn after 10 minutes in the sun, applying an SPF 15 sunscreen would allow you to stay in the sun without burning for approximately 150 minutes (a factor of 15 times longer). SPF is actually a measure of protection from amount of UVB exposure and it is not meant to help you determine duration of exposure.
For best protection, experts recommend using a minimum SPF sunscreen of 15, applying the proper amount , and reapplying every 2 hours. Most people under-apply sunscreens, using ¼ to ½ the amount required. Using half the required amount of sunscreen only provides limited protection so you have to use the specified amount!!
The SPF (Sun Protection Factor) scale is not linear:
- SPF 15 blocks 93% of UVB rays for 150 minutes if you are in the sun or 2.5 hrs
- SPF 30 blocks 97% of UVB rays rays for 300 minutes if you are in the sun 5 hrs
- SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays rays for 500 minutes or 8 hours if you are in the sun
So, one way of looking at this is that SPF 30 sunscreen only gives you 4% more protection than SPF 15 sunscreen.
The other aspect is hydration. Drinking adequate amounts of water to keep skin hydrated, having facial to heal restore renew skin so it looks healthy and younger.
Our day moisturizers included in several of our skincare lines have SPF 15 and 30 respectively and are specifically formulated for each skin type you can purchase online or at any of our spa branches nationwide.