Each year, as the temperatures warm and the sunlight intensifies over the Northern Hemisphere, sunscreen hits the shelves in all of our local pharmacies, big box, and grocery stores.  It is for good reason, as skin cancer is the most common form of cancer in the United States each year, affecting over 2 million people!  And because 20% of all Americans will develop skin cancer in some form over the course of their lifetime, it is worth taking a close look at some of the facts, and ways you can protect yourself from being a statistic!

When scouring the shelves for a sunscreen, the choices can be overwhelming. Brand names vs. store brands, lotions vs. creams vs. sprays, and SPF values ranging from 1 to 100.  We’ve come up with a few tips that we feel are most important when buying sunscreen to help get the best bang for your buck!

• SPF stand for Sun Protection Factor.  The ranges of 1 to 100 are important to note, but are a bit deceiving.  A good example of this can be seen when comparing an SPF 15, 30, and  50 lotion.  The lotion with SPF 15 blocks 93% of the suns UVB rays, the lotion with SPF 30 blocks 97%, and the SPF 50 lotion blocks 98%.  So although higher SPF may give higher amounts of protection, there is a diminishing point of return.
• UVB rays cause redness and pain, UVA rays do not.  They do, however, cause skin damage deep within the skin layers.  While UVB rays are more intense during the Summer months, UVA rays have the same intensity throughout the year, and it is important to protect yourself!
• There is much debate about what works better, lotions, creams, or sprays.  And although there is some evidence from which to draw conclusions, the most important point to remember is to use it, every time you are in the sun and to reapply it often!

Our recommendation:  Find a sunscreen to your liking that you are most likely to apply often (this could be a cream, lotion, or spray) with an SPF rating of at least 30, and be sure it has protection against both UVA and UVB rays.  If you’re in doubt, ask a pharmacist to help you select one that meets this criteria.

For more information, check out the skincancer.org website. http://www.skincancer.org/understanding-uva-and-uvb.html