How do you choose the right sunscreen?
Unfortunately, the solution no longer lies in a simple SPF number. Though the SPF rating of a sunscreen is a valid measure of how well it will protect you against sunburns, our Tacoma dermal filler center advises that this number has little if anything to do with protecting your skin from wrinkles.
The problem here is that the SPF number measures only how much a sunscreen is able to reflect or absorb UVB rays. These are the rays that are responsible for burning your skin, and can contribute to skin cancer. However, it has been found that UVA rays, which are not accounted for in SPF ratings, are responsible for aging your skin, as well as possibly contributing further to skin cancer. This is why it is important to seek out “broad spectrum” sunscreens, which protect against both UVB and UVA rays.
The bad news is that there is not currently a simple rating for how well a screen protects against UVA rays. Therefore, when looking at sunscreens, it is important to keep an eye out for any of these ingredients: ecamsule, avobenzone, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, sulisobenzone, or zinc oxide. Some of these can be fairly pricy, though they each work well enough; seek out titanium dioxide and zinc oxide for a lower-cost option.
