Sun Protection Factor (SPF)
A rating system for SUNSCREEN products that measures how effectively the sunscreen works. The higher the sun protection factor (SPF) rating, the greater the amount of protection from the sun. For example, an SPF of 15 means that a child using the sunscreen could spend up to 15 times longer in the sun without burning than if he was not wearing it. However, the SPF applies only to ultraviolet-B (UVB); no rating for ultraviolet-A (UVA) currently exists.
Experts suggest that sunscreen should have a minimum SPF of 15 to avoid the burning, drying, and wrinkling that result from overexposure to the harmful rays, which are the single most damaging element to the skin. On the other hand, experts at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criticize sunscreens with SPFs up to 50, charging that consumers may have a false sense of security by using products with very high SPF values.
An SPF of 50 implies that a person can tolerate 50 times the amount of sun that it would normally take to burn, which is not necessarily true. Even a sunscreen with an SPF of 50 lets some UVB rays through, so using it does not allow a person to bake for hours in the sun without any risk of cancer or wrinkling, according to some dermatologists.
In addition, the higher the SPF number, the faster the proportional increase in protection diminishes. For example, the difference between an SPF of 45 and one of 30 is only a few percentage points. As a result of these concerns, the FDA recently proposed legislation that would limit SPF labeling to 30.
There are still some physicians and sunscreen manufacturers who believe that higher SPFs should be available for those who choose to use them. Rather than cut off protection at 30, these physicians suggest that the FDA ask manufacturers to explain the percentage of ultraviolet rays blocked by each of the different SPF numbers.
For overseas travelers, it is important to realize that not all SPFs are the same. In Europe the SPF is called DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung, the company that developed the system). The DIN uses lower numbers than the American SPF system for equivalent sun protection. For example, an SPF 12 is equal to DIN 9; SPF 19 is DIN 15.
Experts suggest that sunscreen should have a minimum SPF of 15 to avoid the burning, drying, and wrinkling that result from overexposure to the harmful rays, which are the single most damaging element to the skin. On the other hand, experts at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) criticize sunscreens with SPFs up to 50, charging that consumers may have a false sense of security by using products with very high SPF values.
An SPF of 50 implies that a person can tolerate 50 times the amount of sun that it would normally take to burn, which is not necessarily true. Even a sunscreen with an SPF of 50 lets some UVB rays through, so using it does not allow a person to bake for hours in the sun without any risk of cancer or wrinkling, according to some dermatologists.
In addition, the higher the SPF number, the faster the proportional increase in protection diminishes. For example, the difference between an SPF of 45 and one of 30 is only a few percentage points. As a result of these concerns, the FDA recently proposed legislation that would limit SPF labeling to 30.
There are still some physicians and sunscreen manufacturers who believe that higher SPFs should be available for those who choose to use them. Rather than cut off protection at 30, these physicians suggest that the FDA ask manufacturers to explain the percentage of ultraviolet rays blocked by each of the different SPF numbers.
For overseas travelers, it is important to realize that not all SPFs are the same. In Europe the SPF is called DIN (Deutsches Institut für Normung, the company that developed the system). The DIN uses lower numbers than the American SPF system for equivalent sun protection. For example, an SPF 12 is equal to DIN 9; SPF 19 is DIN 15.
