Browsing the endless beauty products on the store shelves, you will find many will have SPF on the packaging. There will be a number such as 15 or 40 after the letters SPF. In this article we will explain very simply what this means and why you should take this seriously.
What is SPF short for and what does it mean in a beauty product?
SPF is short for sun protection factor. Any product that has SPF on the label will contain ingredients which will protect your skin from the sun’s ultraviolet rays. In other words it will act as a sunscreen.
The number after the letters SPF indicates how much of these ingredients are in the product thus telling you how long the product will protect you from the sun’s ultraviolet rays whilst you are in the sun.
The higher the number after the SPF letters the longer the beauty product will protect your skin whilst in the sun.
Why does your skin need protecting from the sun’s ultraviolet rays?
The sun’s ultraviolet rays can cause skin cancer. The rays can also damage your skin causing lines, wrinkles, age spots and premature ageing.
What do the numbers after SPF mean?
The number after the SPF will generally be understood as how much longer it would take for your skin to burn if you were not wearing any sunscreen.
For example if the product states SPF 30 on the label, this means that it would take your skin 30 times longer to burn in the sun than if you were not wearing any sunscreen.
Can any sunscreen block the sun’s ultraviolet rays by 100%?
No they cannot but some protect your skin by a very high percentage, over 95%.
SPF 15 is known to block 93% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
SPF 30 is known to block 97% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays.
SPF 50 is known to block 98% of the sun’s ultraviolet rays
How much sunscreen should you use?
It is advised to use about half a teaspoon of sunscreen on your face and neck. You should also apply sunscreen for any part of your body that is exposed to the sun.
How long before you go in the sun should you apply SPF?
It is advised that you should apply SPF about half an hour before going to the sun.
If you would like to share your experiences with beauty products that have SPF please let us know on our forum and social media! Share some of your thoughts with others and start a conversation.
DISCLAIMER
Before you start any new diet, health programme, exercise routine, and ingest or topically use any oil, vitamin, mineral, product or compound, it is very important to consult your doctor, therapist or do a patch test to make sure you do not have any adverse reactions.
We do not offer any form of medical or psychological advice. The information in our wellbeing articles are offered for educational purposes only. Our wellbeing articles are not intended to diagnose, treat or prevent any disease. Thank you.
