SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor and is a protection factor that shields the skin from harmful UV rays. SPF indicates how long you can stay protected in the sun with sunscreen. How long you can stay in the sun without burning depends not only on applying SPF but also on your skin type and the position of the sun.
What types of SPF are there?
It's important to know that SPF only provides protection against UVB rays, not UVA rays. This means that SPF protects against burning but does not protect against skin aging.
There are different SPF factors:
- SPF15 offers 93.3% protection
- SPF30 offers 96.6% protection
- SPF50 offers 98.0% protection
So, 100% protection does not exist. Also, you cannot add your SPFs together. SPF20 + SPF30 is not SPF50.
What is the difference between UVA and UVB rays?
UV stands for Ultraviolet. Natural sunlight consists of about 95% UVA and about 5% UVB. These rays affect the skin in different ways. UVA rays have a long wavelength and penetrate deep into the skin, damaging collagen and elastin and causing skin aging. That's why the A also stands for Aging. UVB rays are more powerful than UVA rays but have a short wavelength, which means they penetrate less deeply into the skin than UVA rays. UVB rays cause DNA damage and sunburn. That's why the B also stands for Burning.
Start protecting your skin today!
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