The Top 5 Sunscreen Myths & Misconceptions
As we welcome Sun Awareness Week (3-9th May), we spoke to Consultant Dermatologist, Dr Anjali Mahto, about what are some of the most common myths and misconceptions about SPF. To avoid the biggest sun myths, read on below for her expert advice.
1. You can give sunscreen a miss if your moisturiser or makeup has an SPF rating.
There are two main reasons this does not hold out. The first is that the sun protection factor or SPF of a cosmetic product such as a moisturiser or foundation is a marker of protection against UVB radiation from the sun. However, sunlight contains multiple wavelengths of light and the SPF value does not tell you if a product is “broad-spectrum” offering protection against other radiation such as UVA which can be equally as damaging to the skin. Secondly, we often tend to use small amounts of moisturiser or make-up and as a result of under-application, we are always likely to get better protection when we use a separate sunscreen.
2. You need to spend a lot of money on sunscreens - the more expensive, the more effective they are.
Whilst expensive sunscreens may have more cosmetic elegance, regardless of price point, sunscreen testing in the UK (in accordance with the EU) is standardised and from a protection point of view, a budget sunscreen will offer the same degree of protection against the sun as a more expensive counterpart.
3. Skin of colour does not need sunscreen.
Wearing sunscreen can protect against sunburn, prevent worsening of skin conditions such as pigmentation or rashes sensitive to sunlight (eg. lupus, polymorphic light eruption), as well as protecting against premature skin ageing. Therefore all skin types can benefit from sunscreen in their daily routine.
4. Mineral sunscreen is better than chemical sunscreen.
A mineral sunscreen usually contains mineral filters such as titanium dioxide or zinc oxide to reflect and absorb UV radiation from the sun; chemical sunscreens use chemical filters (of which there are many) to absorb radiation. One is not better than the other, and it largely comes down to personal preference which format you opt for. As a general rule of thumb, however, many people with sensitive skin or inflammatory skin conditions such as eczema and psoriasis may find that mineral sunscreens are less irritating to the skin.
5. If I wear an SPF 30 and my makeup has SPF 20, I’ve got an SPF covering of 50.
Sunscreen products do not have an additive effect e.g if you use a sunscreen with an SPF of 50 and then a foundation on top with an SPF of 30, this does not add up to a protection of SPF 80. You will only get the level of protection of the highest factor i.e. SPF 50 in this case.