How to choose sunscreen that protects skin from UVA and UVB rays

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was consulted with Specialist Doctor I Tran Van Sang - Dermatologist - Department of Medical Examination & Internal Medicine - Vinmec Da Nang International General Hospital.
Currently, on the market there are many types of sunscreen with many different indexes. This makes it difficult for people to choose the right sunscreen. The following article will help you choose the right sunscreen that protects your skin from UVA and UVB rays.

1. The effect of sunscreen

The use of sunscreen or umbrella, hat, sunscreen is to protect the skin, to help the skin avoid the effects of ultraviolet rays (UV rays) in the sun. Ultraviolet rays are divided into 3 types: UVA rays, UVB rays and UVC rays. Out of these three types of rays, only two types of rays, UVA and UVB, can penetrate the ozone layer and cause harm to our health. And UVC rays have been blocked by the ozone layer, unable to penetrate to the ground.
Therefore, when outdoors, our skin is under the impact of UVA and UVB rays, which darken the skin, cause skin damage, accelerate the aging process and increase the risk of skin cancer. Therefore, it is important to choose a sunscreen that protects against UVA and UVB rays. When choosing a sunscreen, you need to read carefully the information on the product label, to know the effect of the product:
If the product has an SPF symbol, it will have an effect against UVB rays. If the product has a PA symbol * or a + sign, it will have an anti-UVA effect.

2. How to choose sunscreen

The higher the SPF, the higher the protection against UVB rays. Specifically, with each SPF index, there will be a protection effect against UVB rays in the sun as follows:
SPF 2: has the ability to protect the skin is 50%. SPF 15: can protect skin up to 94%. SPF 30: has the ability to protect the skin is 97%. SPF 50: has 98% skin protection. SPF 100: has the highest ability to protect the skin from UVB rays is 99%.

However, everyone also needs to note:
With SPF 30 sunscreen, to achieve UVB sun protection up to 97%, you need to apply it very thick, specifically 2mg/cm2 of skin. Although the higher the SPF, the better the sun protection, but you should not choose the product with this index too high, because it will cause skin irritation. Normally, we should only choose products with SPF 30 or SPF 50. With the PA index usually denoted as PA +, ++ and +++ on sunscreens, the more + signs, the better. better protection against UVA rays. You should choose a sunscreen with a PA++ index, if you can choose a PA+++ one, the better.

Another thing to keep in mind is that this sunscreen may be suitable for someone, but it may irritate you. So, if possible, you should try it out before deciding to buy a certain sunscreen for long-term use.

3. Instructions for using sunscreen

After you have chosen a sunscreen that protects your skin from UVA and UVB rays, you also need to know how to use them correctly. Because if not used correctly, it will reduce the effectiveness of skin protection from ultraviolet rays. You need to note the following:
For maximum effectiveness of sun protection, you need to apply sunscreen on your skin 20-30 minutes before going out in the sun. After 2-3 hours, you need to reapply sunscreen, to make sure the cream is sufficiently resistant to ultraviolet rays. Each cream has a different duration of action, so you need to carefully read the information of the product you are using. There are many people who think that they only need to apply sunscreen on hot days without using it when it is cool, sunny or cloudy. This is a completely wrong concept. Because in fact, just being in the sun can have UVA and UVB rays that can damage the skin. Therefore, it is necessary to protect the skin whenever going out in the sun. Although sunscreen is so good, pregnant and breastfeeding women need to be careful when using it, and should carefully read the recommendations of each cream. Besides using sunscreen, when going out during peak heat hours, you should combine the use of other sun protection measures such as:
Wear a wide-brimmed hat that can cover your face. Or use an umbrella while walking. Wear the mask. Wear long sleeves. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes Hopefully, after reading this article of ours, you already know how to choose the right UVA and UVB sunscreen for you. Besides, you also need to pay attention to how to use the cream correctly to achieve the best skin protection effect, avoiding ultraviolet rays. At the same time, it should be combined with other sun protection measures to improve the effectiveness of protecting the body from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays under today's peak hot days.

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