Don’t let sunscreen labels fool you! There are a few key points you should pay attention to:
1. You shouldn’t be seeing the word ‘sunblock’ anymore, only ‘sunscreen’. The word ‘sunblock’ exaggerates the products effectiveness, it’s not blocking the sun after all!
2. Waterproof and sweatproof are no longer allowed to be put on labels, either. Water resistant is okay, only if it states how long it will stand up to swimming or sweating (either 40 or 80 minutes, based on testing).
3. SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. SPF only refers to UVB protection, not UVA! Sunscreens are rated or classified by the strength of their SPF. The SPF numbers on the packaging can range from as low as 2 to greater than 50. These numbers refer to the sunscreens ability to block the sun’s UVB rays (burning rays). Wearing an SPF of 50 or higher is recommended. Apply sunscreen 15-20 minutes before going outside and reapply every 2 hours and after swimming or perspiring heavily.
