Even though we all know basic ingredients to prevent a sunburn—use sunscreen and avoid sitting at the pool between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.—many of us will still end up pink as a pig this summer. Adding to our confusion is the recent controversial report by the Environmental Working Group, which tested 1,000 sunscreens and found that four out of five don’t adequately protect our skin and may pose health hazards. So what do we do?
To address the confusion (and the burns), I decided to revisit some of those sun myths that I found to be false only after it was too late.
1. You cannot get a sunburn if it’s cloudy out.
Sunlight consists of two types of harmful ultraviolet radiation: UVB, which is the main cause of sunburn and skin cancer, and UVA, which penetrates deeper into the skin, is responsible for the sun’s aging effects, and may contribute to cancer. UVB is only partially blocked by clouds and fog, so you can still get burned on an overcast day. And while the amount of UVB in sunlight can vary by season, location, and time of day, UVA is always present during daylight hours. So even if your face doesn’t end up looking like a lobster, you’re still getting sun rays and therefore, skin damage.
2. Using sunscreen is all the sun protection you need.
Though sunscreen should always be used when outdoors, it’s an imperfect substitute for avoiding the sun altogether. The current rating system we are all familiar with, Sun Protection Factor (SPF), measures a product’s ability to provide UVB protection, not UVA. It is therefore important to look for a “broad spectrum” sunscreen that protects against both. Even then, sunscreen will not completely protect you all day. For example, an SPF 15 is supposed to protect you fifteen times more than your natural protection. If you can stay in the sun ten minutes before you are burned, SPF 15 will protect you 150 minutes, or about two hours.
Besides reapplying often, a better way to avoid sun damage is to seek shade during those extremely hot and sunny parts of the day (10 a.m. to 4 p.m., according to the American Academy of Dermatologists) and wear protective clothing. Thickly woven materials are better than light, thin ones, and baseball hats, though a good choice, are not as good as wide brimmed hats, which protect the ears and eyes better. However, avoiding the sun during summertime and wearing thick clothes in hot humid weather isn’t always feasible, or comfortable. Hence, sunscreen.
3. All sunscreens are created equal.
Part of the controversy over the Environmental Working Group’s findings had to do with chemical versus physical sunscreens. Chemical sunscreens contain compounds, like oxybenzone, which absorb the UV rays, while physical sunscreens have a physical barrier, like titanium dioxide or zinc oxide, which deflect the rays. Although the Food and Drug Administration and the American Skin Foundation think differently, the Environmental Working Group contends that the chemicals in sunscreens can break down within a few hours and may be absorbed by the skin, causing hormonal problems.
Whichever sunscreen you choose, it’s important to ensure it is broad spectrum. Since no one chemical blocks both UVA and UVB, sunscreens usually contain a mix of chemicals to provide protection against both. On the other hand, physical sunblocks (that is, those with titanium dioxide or zinc oxide) always provide broad spectrum.
