If it’s time for you to buy sunscreen, you might be bombarded with a lot of products designed to protect your skin from the harmful effects of the sun. One of the things that make buying sun protection products more confusing is the SPF. Is higher SPF better?
Should You Buy Sunscreen SPF 50 or 30?
One of the things to consider when buying sun protection is the SPF. It indicates the protection level a product can offer from the harmful UV rays. Thus, if the product has SPF 50, it can give you the protection of around 98% while an SPF 30 has 96.7% protection. If you go beyond 50, the difference can be so little. It’s also important to note that no sunscreen offers 100% protection. In a way, SPF 50 is better than SPF 30. Then again, there’s just a little difference between the two when it comes to their protection level. However, the price difference between them is a bit high.
What Does the FDA Recommend?
According to the FDA, “To get the most protection out of sunscreen, choose one with an SPF of at least 15.” But if you have fair skin, a higher SPF of 30 is essential. You may also go for SPF 50. Even though you have applied sunscreen, it’s still necessary to avoid sun exposure in the middle of the day. The risk of sunburn is higher during this time.
How to Protect Your Skin?
In addition to applying sunscreen before going out and staying out of the sun from 10 am to 4 pm, here are the other ways to protect your skin.
- Wear a wide brim hat.
- Wear proper clothing that can give you the utmost protection from the sun. You may even use clothing with a UV protection factor. But this can be hard to come by these days.
- Look for shade when you go out. Shaded areas have less UV radiation.
How to Use Sunscreen?
It’s not enough to just apply it to your skin. Make sure that you apply it 30 minutes before you go outside. It’s also vital that you apply it to all exposed skin, such as your face, neck, and arms. If you won’t wear shoes, make sure that you apply sunscreen to your feet as well. You should also re-apply the product every two hours. More often if you are swimming or sweating a lot.
Does Sunscreen Have Expiration Dates?
Not all sunscreens have expiration dates, though. However, it doesn’t mean that they don’t expire. In fact, the FDA required all sunscreens to have an expiration date. If it doesn’t have any, it means that the product is considered expired three years after you purchase it. The FDA also recommends not using sunscreen that has passed its expiration date. Or if you purchased it more than three years ago, you should discard it.
Where to Buy Sunscreen?
If you want to buy sunscreen with natural ingredients or any other product to protect your skin from the sun, please head over to our online shop.