Tan is not an option. I'm either polar bear chic or completely miserable
Here's the thing, SPF literally measures how long it takes you to burn. A sunscreen with SPF 2 allows you to stay out in the sun twice as long without getting burned than you would wearing nothing. SPF 5 takes five times as long.
So if it takes me 15 minutes to burn (which even for me, would be a feat) SPF 15 has me covered for almost 4 hours.
BUT...if you've perspired or swam after putting on sunscreen (e.g. anyone wearing sunscreen), you're supposed to reapply every 80 minutes anyway. Not because the sunscreen has lost its effectiveness, but because there's no longer sunscreen on parts of your skin.
I know you're thinking that still doesn't matter, a higher SPF rating means more UV rays are being blocked for the time the sunscreen is on your skin. And you're kinda right, but you're also wrong.
Here's my hand as it looks in the visible spectrum on the left and a visualization of what my hand looks like to UV rays on the right
Sunscreen blocks a portion of UV rays depending on the SPF. By SPF 15, the UV rays had to start labeling landmarks.
Fun Fact: melanin can provide skin with the equivalent of up to SPF 13 which is why the prevalence of skin cancer is much lower in people of color. However, skin cancer can happen to anyone so sunscreen is always a good idea.
Unfortunately, there's no federal regulation regarding labeling for UVA protection. Look for "Broad-spectrum" on the bottle and ingredients that ends with "-benzone" on the back. Or you could go with sunblocks that contain zinc oxide or titanium dioxide which protect you from essentially everything but dirty looks.
The moral of the story is that the difference between picking SPF 50 over SPF 30 is less significant than how well you rub your sunscreen in. And SPF 30 is easier to find, cheaper, and often less oily and obnoxious to apply.
So as for me and my freckley Viking-married-a-leprachaun skin, I'll take the SPF 30.
Enjoy the Sun,
Stephanie
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