5 myths about SPF, UVA and UVB

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With the sun peeping out from behind the clouds more days than not lately, it has become increasingly important to pay attention to the condition and care of our skin. There are a lot of mixed messages out there about UV exposure, so I decided to do some research to debunk a few myths (specifically those relating to women/beauty) and give some perspective on making educated decisions about UV rays.

Myth #1: Your daily moisturizer with SPF is enough to protect your skin

Of course, it’s convenient when our makeup or moisturizer already has SPF in it. But be warned – According to Glamour magazine, most daily facial moisturizers with SPF usually only protect from UVB rays, not UVA.

Ultraviolet-a (UVA) and ultraviolet-b (UVB) pose different threats than one another. UVA are longer wavelengths from the sun and penetrate deeper into the skin, and may be the culprit behind aging. UVB rays have shorter wavelengths and are more likely to cause sun burn and skin cancer.

Products that contain SPF (“sun protection factor”) only protect the skin from UVB rays, which isn’t enough to completely protect us from the risk of skin cancer and premature aging.

This is why it’s important to use a block that is UVA/UVB or broad-spectrum protection. Look for moisturizers and sunscreens that contain zinc oxide, or a combination of avobenzone and octocrylene. And are SPF 15 or higher.
(Sources: Glamour magazine and Skinfitnessfacts.com)

Myth #2: A few minutes in the sun never hurt anyone

Although it might feel like you weren’t in the sun for very long, your body doesn’t see it that way. The truth is that it only takes about 10 minutes for UV radiation to begin to damage your skin. The moral of the story? Don’t skimp on the sunscreen just because you’re only going to be in the sun for a few minutes – you’re better safe than sorry. And it’s not like you were expecting to get a tan only being in the sun for a few minutes, right?

Myth #3: You can only get vitamin D from the sun

Yes, we all need vitamin D. And yes, the sun is a great source of it. So it’s easy to jump on the “tanning = vitamin D bandwagon.” But did you know there are also high levels of vitamin D in dairy products, cereal, and fish? So eat up!

But if you absolutely must get your vitamin D from the sun, please note that it takes much less UV to get your recommended level of vitamin D than it takes to get a suntan (or burn). And vitamin D can (and will) penetrate through most sunscreens, with the exception of the highest levels. So vitamin D is not a reasonable excuse to cook your skin. Sorry.
(Source: Vanterbilt.edu)

Myth #4: All sunglasses are created equal when it comes to protecting your eyes

Like everything in life, more expensive does not guarantee better quality. But frankly, that’s often what it’s an indicator of.

Price aside, the most important thing to look for in a pair of sunglasses is UV protection. Without it, your sunglasses are no more than an accessory to your outfit.

For example, I like wearing earrings but I don’t expect them to keep me from getting sunburnt. (Sorry – I’m a cynical person.)

So if you’re going to purchase sunglasses on the cheap, make sure that they have the sticker that says 100% UV protection. Otherwise, they’re useless to you.

Myth #5: If you have skin cancer, you’ll know it when you see it

Unless you have a trained eye (or previous experience with cancer), you probably won’t be able to tell if you have skin cancer. Scary, I know.

To make training our eyes easier, Glamour has provided a really great Skin Check Guide for us to compare our moles to.

But your best bet is not only to pay attention to your skin, but also to see a dermatologist regularly to have your moles checked out. If you have no history of skin cancer in your family or self, then an annual check should be sufficient. If you have a history of skin cancer in your family, you should consult your doctor to see how often you should be going in to get checked out.

In closing…

I’m not trying to lecture anyone about the evils of the sun and tanning beds – I’d be a hypocrite (I’m pretty sure I may still have a few old tans left on my package at Tan Republic). Although I have drastically decreased my UV exposure in the last few years, I still occasionally slip up and forget to apply sunscreen.

However, I am going to say that it’s important to be smart and know the facts so that you can make educated decisions about your skin. It’s YOUR skin and YOUR body and ONLY YOU you can decide how you want to care for it (gosh – I feel like I’m giving the same talk that I’ve been giving about why I became a vegetarian). All I’m saying is that just like tofu is a reasonable substitute for meat (really – it’s tasty!), sunless tanner has come leaps and bounds since it was first invented. Although it’s not the same as the real thing, it’s pretty damn close and you won’t have to live with any negative consequences afterwards.

Feel free to leave your own recommendations for sunless tanners in a comment on this post so that my readers will know where to start when picking out a sunless tanner! And what do you know, I even have some of my own recommendations that I wrote about last summer in this post!