Which sunscreen is right for you? Making sense of confusing label lingo

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah — Ahh, summer! Being outside, running around, swimming, splashing and sunscreen by the boatload.

“A lot of sunscreen,” agreed mom Erika Beeson while at the Liberty Park splash pad with her kids. “We’ve got three kids so we go through quite a bit.”

How do you know you have the right sunscreen?

Beeson said she looks for the highest SPF.

“Anything higher than 55 SPF and then we’re good to go,” she said.

SPF AND BROAD SPECTRUM

While SPF, or sun protection factor, is great, Huntsman Cancer Institute dermatologist Dr. Douglas Grossman says it only means protection against sunburn causing Ultraviolet B, or UVB, rays. SPF means nothing for Ultraviolet A, or UVA, rays.

“Those longer wavelengths (UVA) can promote aging, changes associated with the aging in the skin and we know they’re important causes of cancer, particularly, melanoma,” explained Grossman.

He says the sunscreen you buy should be labeled “Broad Spectrum.” A broad spectrum sunscreen has to prove to the FDA that it blocks both UVB and UVA rays.

“You really want broad protection against all the wavelengths of UV,” said Grossman.

Still, Dr. Grossman recommends buying sunscreens with higher SPF numbers as well.

“We know that patients generally don’t apply enough sunscreen, or don’t apply it properly. So, the higher factor, it’s more likely you’re going to get protection,” Grossman said.

WATER RESISTANT

“Water resistant” on a sunscreen label means the FDA confirms a sunscreen stays effective in the water for 40 minutes, or 80 minutes for products labeled “very water resistant.”

Reapply after that, because sweat and water will still wash that protection away.

“If you’re swimming, sweating, toweling off,” explained Grossman, “you’re probably removing the product. Then you need to reapply it.

Many sunscreens tout the word, “sport.” But, what does “sport” mean?

“When I think of sport, I think of something you can wear when you’re sweating a lot, so it’s probably more water resistant than others,” said mom Natalie Bate.

That might be true, but not necessarily. The FDA doesn’t actually regulate or define what “sport” means.

MINERAL

And there is also no rule for the word “mineral.”

“I tell patients there are basically two types of sunscreens,” explained Grossman. “There are chemical sunscreens and there are mineral sunscreens.”

One key difference is the active ingredients. There are over 30 ingredients a chemical sunscreen will use to absorb UV rays and prevent them from penetrating deeper into the skin.

“The mineral sunscreens contain either zinc oxide or titanium dioxide and they work by reflecting the whole UV spectrum,” said Grossman. “Because they’re reflecting the UV rays instead of absorbing, they generally don’t wear off.”

There is a caveat to mineral sunscreens.

“A lot of people don’t like these because they leave a white film,” Grossman said.

Whether you choose chemical or mineral, no sunscreen blocks all ultraviolet rays.

“The sunscreen is only part of a sun protection strategy,” reminded Grossman.

GO BEYOND SUNSCREEN

He recommends you add a hat, sunglasses and protective clothing. And avoid the sun in the afternoon during its peak exposure time.

“A big misconception is, ‘Hey, the skin looks good the day after sun exposure!’” Grossman said. “Just because you don’t get a sunburn doesn’t mean you’re not incurring damage.”

“The changes from UV exposure usually takes 20 to 30 years before you see the chronic wrinkling of the skin; also for the development of skin cancer,” said Grossman. “You actually can’t see that damage. It doesn’t manifest itself until many years later.”