A Note From Dr. Laura: What is Sun Protection?
Understanding Sun Protection
SPF or Sun Protection Factor can be confusing - I’ll be the first to say it. It makes complete sense to think that the higher the SPF, the better the protection. I used to think that too! It’s true to an extent, but that’s not the only factor to consider when buying sunscreen. SPF was conceptualized to provide consumers with an understanding of the amount of time it takes to get sunburned with sunscreen vs. without. For example, if you get sunburned in 10 minutes with no protection and you apply an SPF 30, theoretically it should protect you for 300 minutes or 5 hours. Candidly, this isn’t entirely accurate, as there are many different factors that affect sunscreen efficacy (including its capacity to resist sweat and water). SPF was also originally designed to measure protection from UVB rays. UVA protection is equally important, so it’s good to choose a broad-spectrum sunscreen (sunscreen that protects from both UVA and UVB rays). The FDA recommends reapplication every 2 hours to ensure sunscreen coverage remains strong! And like our previous post (To Wash On Sunscreen Or To Not Wash On Sunscreen - link out) mentions, adding a base layer of Wash On Sunscreen helps make topical sunscreen even more effective.
SPF aside, the key factors people look for when buying sunscreen are “cosmetic elegance" and ease of application. Simply put: No one likes to apply sticky, tacky, sunscreen that acts as a sand magnet on the beach. And, no one enjoys white residue on their skin!
Picking The Right Sunscreen
Something else to consider is the absorption of the sunscreen into the skin. We created our patented Quantasphere technology to address this. Notably, it reduces penetration into the skin by 80%. This means that you can use less of our sunscreen to achieve the same SPF coverage as other leading brands. As a result, users spend less time applying and have more time to safely enjoy the sun. Additionally, most SPF 50 sunscreens use 25-35% active ingredients. By comparison, Klenskin SPF 50 uses only 12.5% active ingredients for the same SPF level of protection. That means up to an 80% reduction in absorption into the body! The sunscreen is staying on the surface of the skin, where it can protect you, instead of penetrating into the body, where it can be possibly harmful. On top of wearing sunscreen, it's important to wear sun protective clothing- a wide brimmed hat, seek shaded areas, and avoid peak sun hours as much as possible. Now go out there and enjoy the outdoors…safely!