Spotlight Magazines Spotlight on West Bridgford Nottingham July 2015 | Page 8

Spotlight Magazine

Sunscreens

Do you know your factor 8’s from your
factor 30’s and your UVA protection
from your UVB? Browsing a display of
sunscreens can certainly be confusing, so
here’s a little help.

First to the basics: how do sunscreens
work? Sunscreens, also commonly referred
to as sun block, sun tan lotion and sun
cream, are products which contain a
combination of ingredients which help to
prevent the sun’s harmful ultraviolet (UV)
radiation from reaching the skin.
There are two types of radiation, UVA has
longer wavelengths and can cause lasting
skin damage, skin aging and skin cancer,
because they are not absorbed by the
ozone layer and so can penetrate skin
deeply, potentially causing the most harm.
UVB has shorter waves, is partially
absorbed by the ozone layer but can still
cause sunburn and also skin damage
and skin cancer. Most products focus on
protecting against UVB rays, but those that
describe themselves as broad spectrum
provide protection against UVA and UVB.
Sunscreens both absorb and reflect the
sun’s harmful rays.
You will see the expression ‘sun protection
factor (SPF)’ on products. This is a
measure of the products ability to prevent
UVB from damaging the
skin. For example if your
skin would usually start
to redden in the sun
after 10 minutes, using a
sunscreen with a factor
of 30 suggests that you
will not redden until you
have been in the sun for
30 times as long as that
which is 300 minutes.

depending on how fair your skin is as the
fairer you are the faster you will generally
burn.
The time of day you are out will also have
an impact. For example protection won’t be
as good if you are exposed to full strength
mid day sun compared to early morning
rays. You should also remember that you
will need to reapply sunscreens regularly
throughout the day.
There are a huge range of products to )