SPF number matters…a lot! On average, SPF 15 offers 94% protection whereas SPF 50 offers 98%. At 94% protection, your skin is still exposed to 6% of UV rays, whereas at 98% protection, only 2% of those rays make it through. That’s nearly a 70% increase in protection! So although a 4% increase in SPF may not seem significant at first, it is in fact a huge amount.
Ask any dermatologist and they will tell you that reapplying sunscreen throughout the day is key to effectively protecting your skin against harmful UVA and UVB rays.
UVB-blocker: Homosalate, in particular, is a UVB-blocker, protecting against the UV damage that is known to cause skin cancer, says Fincher. To that point, “since it has very limited efficacy against UVA rays, it needs to be combined with other agents to ensure complete protection,” adds Idriss. (She also notes that homosalate isn’t particularly photostable and needs to be combined with other ingredients to keep it stable as well.)
Dermatologist Dr. Shereene Idriss says, “This study is not meant to scare anyone or modify behaviors. This study is shedding light on a topic that requires more studies and more data in order to reach an objective, clearly defined conclusion. The sun’s UV rays are a known, well-established, scientifically proven cause of skin cancer.”
You’ve heard it from your mother, your dermatologist, your first-grade teacher, and even Baz Luhrmann: Wear sunscreen. With the wealth of knowledge we now have
Ask any dermatologist: The fact that we need to wear sunscreen is not up for debate. But finding the best sunscreen isn’t easy—there’s a reason people
Of all the skin-care products we use, sunscreen is the most powerful — and perhaps the most scrutinized. To pass the basic buy test, it
How did you get started in dermatology? What was your first job in the field? I applied to medical school at 17 and entered into
Not a fan of traditional sunscreens? I’ve got you covered.
Think: lightweight, fast-absorbing, and easy to apply.
