If you remember only one thing from this blog, it should be this:
SPF only measures UVB. It tells you nothing about UVA.
The next thing you need to know is this:
There is no numerical rating scale for UVA (in the U.S., right now).
There are ways to measure UVA protection (which only cosmetic chemists look at), but there is no quantitative scale used on sunscreen labels. All we have right now is the ‘Broad Spectrum SPF’ label, which ensures there is some UVA protection. But you still won’t know the degree of UVA protection unless you look at the ingredients.
Why am I telling you this? Because if you don’t know this, you’ll probably end up buying the wrong sunscreen, since most sunscreens on the market today are not formulated to provide good protection from UVA. And remember, when it comes to aging, what we really care about is UVA.
Very few people are aware of these two points. This is the main reason I wrote the Sun Protection Guide. I’ll teach you what to look for in a sunscreen to get that UVA protection. But first, read more about SPF and rating UVA.
