Sunscreen products with a sun protection factor (SPF) of 20 provide moderate protection against the suns harmful rays. Here are some details about sunscreen products, including their positive and negative aspects, and ingredients or materials:
Positive aspects:
- Sunscreen products with an SPF of 20 can provide moderate protection against the suns harmful rays.
- Broad-spectrum sunscreens offer effective protection against both UVA and UVB rays, which are the solar wavelengths proven to damage the skin. UVA rays penetrate the skin more deeply than UVB and are the chief cause of wrinkles, sagging, and other signs of aging. UVB rays damage the skins upper surface and are the main cause of sunburn. Both cause skin cancer.
- Sunscreen products can be formulated to be very water-resistant, which is important for outdoor activities near bodies of water.
- Sunscreen products can contain a combination of chemical and physical active ingredients. Chemical ingredients such as avobenzone and benzophenone work by absorbing UV like a sponge, reducing its penetration into the skin, whereas physical ingredients such as titanium dioxide and zinc oxide stay on top of the skin and deflect UV rays like a shield.
Negative aspects:
- Some sunscreen products may contain ingredients that can be harmful to human health or the environment. The Environmental Working Group (EWG) analyzes sunscreens and rates them on five factors encompassing overall ingredient hazard and product efficacy in providing sun protection. The overall rating for each product is calculated on the basis of a formula reflecting a combination of the products health hazard and efficacy ratings.
- Higher SPF products may contain 20-40% sunscreen oils, accounting for the occlusive greasy feel of many of these products. Dry lotions are available for those who prefer a less greasy feel.
Ingredients or materials:
- The most common sunscreen actives include titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, avobenzone, benzophenone 8, octocrylene, and oxybenzone.
- The active ingredients in sunscreen products are modeled for their effectiveness based on their absorbance spectrum and the percentage of the active ingredient used in the product.
- Ethylhexyl dimethyl PABA, UV-B Sulisobenzone, Benzophenone-4, Titanium dioxide, Trolamine salicylate, Triethanoamine salicylate, and Zinc oxide are some of the active ingredients in sunscreen products.
