SPF - Everything You Ever Wanted To know About Sun Protection

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If there’s one thing that makes me so very happy and proud, it definitely is the fact that all around me, people are seemingly paying much more attention to their sun protection game. To avoid sunburn, premature ageing and other potentially way worse issues like melanoma and skin cancer, I feel like more and more friends and acquaintances are aware that they should be using good sun protection regularly (That’s at least what I’ve been able to pick up from my Insta stories). 

The best way to stay safe is obviously to avoid the sun completely, especially between 10 - 3pm. I can understand that lot’s of us are looking for other options. While protective clothes can help block the harmful rays on the body, a sunscreen is the best option for the face and other exposed zones.

And when talking about sunscreens, there really isn’t a more obvious and boring phrase than “the best sunscreen is the one you’ll actually end up wearing”. Honestly, I’d be rich (like walk into Sephora and buy anything kind of rich) if I had a dollar for every time I had read or heard that one. Obviously, some criteria are personal but have we gone too far trying to pick apart every single part of them or is it actually true that there isn’t a one-size-fits-all approach to sunscreens? And in that case, how do we go forward and find our perfect match?  

Long answer short, finding the Holy-Grail requires patience and research. And here to help you out is a list of the most requested questions about SPF criteria, to help keep a cool (and unburnt) head. 

Criteria 1 : SPF How Much?

To keep it short and sweet,  Health Canada  recommends choosing a broad spectrum sunscreen with a Sun Protection Factor (SPF) of 30 or more. The “broad spectrum” here refers to protection against both UVA AND UVB rays, each having different incidences on the skin, which can be remembered with the following trick : UVA = Age and UVB = Burn. UVA rays further have the ability to penetrate through our regular windows, which is why it’s recommended to wear SPF even when you are staying inside. 

As I mentioned above, a SPF of 30 is usually generally enough. That isn’t to say that a higher SPF might not be beneficial, but it might just have very little more impact. To understand the effect, let’s see how sun protection while wearing SPF is actually calculated.

Let’s take the habitual time that you could spend under the sun without burning. For the average caucasian, that averages around 20 minutes (obviously depending on a plethora of factors). Then, we multiply that number by the SPF we are wearing. Here, 20 minutes x SPF 30 = 600 minutes, or approximately 10 hours of sun protection! We understand why a SPF 50 doesn’t seem much more necessary. What actually IS interesting to note is that the science isn’t exact, and it’s impacted by a lot of different factors, like if you’re directly exposed or not, if you’re actively sweating or getting wet, etc! That’s why it’s preferable to find a SPF that we can apply the correct amount (usually a teaspoon the face, and a full shot glass for the body) and easily reapply, is preferable to finding one with very high SPF.

Criteria 2 : Reapplying potential

Without a doubt, some will leave this section disappointed. I’ll do my best to lay out all your options here.

In my Stories, the question that came back most often was : “Is reapplying a serious thing?” I’m barely twisting the words here, you guys really weren’t there for the reapplying bit.

Let’s start with the following one then : “How many times should I really be reapplying my sunscreen during the day?”

Generally speaking, Health Canada recommends reapplying every two hours. The idea here? Counteract on water and oil that comes out of the skin. Similarly, we should re-apply every time we go for a dive. 

Best think about it that way : reapplying highly depends on what’s going on during your day. 

For example, for a regular day of work in an AC environment, I can see very little risk of my own face sweating or getting oily. This would obviously vary for each single person but on that type of day, I could probably get away with only reapplying once, before leaving the office *(side note : I’m not sure what I find the most funny, imagining my friends with perfect makeup reapplying before leaving the office or imagining myself in an actual office. Anyways).

Contrarily, if you’re planning on spending the day outside (beach, park, etc), it might be best to compromise and wear less skin makeup (perhaps stick to eyes and lips) but reapply every two hours or more. 

For those who absolutely are opposed to either A) not wearing makeup or B) reapplying over it - rest assured! Some makeup-friendly alternatives do exist!For example, reputable brand COOLA offers a SPF 30 makeup setting mist that can be directly sprayed (or re-sprayed) on top of a full-face. Laboratoire Dr. Renaud also has an SPF 50 powder that helps with reapplication. Bonus, the mattifying effect of the powder is most definitely welcome on an extra hot and shiny day outside!

Criteria 3 : Mineral or “chemical”?

After reapplication, this is definitely the question that came most often : “what’s the difference between chemical and physical sunscreen and should I care?”

There is a distinction to be made between both types of screens. Physical ones are described as such because they will directly reflect or “bounce off” sun rays. They usually are composed of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Contrarily, a Chemical sunscreen will absorb sun rays and convert them (in a small amount of heat). They usually contain avobenzone, homosalate, octocrylene, octisalate, octinoxate and/or oxybenzone.

Physical sunscreens have been largely popularized in the past years because they supposedly are less of a risk to the environment, notably to coral reefs. American states like Hawaii and Florida have notably banned TWO chemical filters ; oxybenzone and octinoxate.

Personal point of view (backed by a few days of research at this point)? I feel like it all must be taken with a grain of salt. By reading and researching further, we come to understand that 1) nothing is confirmed and research has yet to confirm the effect of these two filters on coral reefs and 2) said whitening is suspected to be a product of ocean warming. Oh and furthermore, to be 100% reef-safe, sunscreens mustn’t contain micro-particles of zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, so it becomes very hard to judge physical sunscreens as well.

I really don’t mean to play the devil’s advocate here, but it's beginning to feel like the arguments against chemical sunscreens aren’t weighing in very strongly. What’s more, I haven't tried a bunch of both mineral AND physical sunscreens, I’ve yet to find physical screens that feels light on the skin and doesn't leave any whitecast. Some of them are even tinted to counteract the white mask-like effect, but it’s really hard to find a good one. Blame me for being superficial but all things considered, I'll remain sceptic till I’m proven wrong. 

Additional extra-creamy advice 

1. The right order matters!

Order of application has prime importance on the efficiency of facial sun care. For optimal protection, apply all of your skincare (up to moisturizer) THEN apply your sunscreen overtop. Makeup can be applied overtop.

2. No Skincare-Mixologist

When applying sunscreen, it really isn’t time to mix and match. Mixing SPF with another product like moisturizer or a tinted product (like foundation for example) risks diluting the protection factor or even making the coverage patchy. And worse than a sunburn is a patchy one. Thanks but no thanks. 

3. Remove with care
At the end of the day, it’s necessary to remove SPF with even greater care than if you were removing regular skincare or makeup. I’m a big fan of double-cleansing (comment in the section below if you want or need more explanations) to make sure all traces of SPF are gone and avoid further problems like irritation, acne, etc!

Tested and approved

• Aveeno Protect + Hydrate FPS 30 : My latest discovery! Rescued from the park on a warm afternoon, I instantly fell in love with this lightweight, non-greasy and completely invisible formula. It contains none of the “unsafe-for-reef” ingredients. What it does contain is hyaluronic acid, a molecule that attracts water to the skin and makes sure yours stays hydrated all while you’re wearing it. It is available in all pharmacies and larger retailers for a very reasonable price. Can we really ask for more?

• Neutrogena Hydro-Boost Water Gel Sunscreen SPF 30 : Another fun choice, at a very tiny price. The Neutrogena Hydro-Boost SPF 30 sunscreen offers invisible protection and weightless finish. Be cautious though! The SPF 50 version, (contrary to SPF 30) contains oxybenzone, one of the potentially harmful ingredients for reefs.

• SkinCeuticals Physical Fusion UV Defense FPS 50 : The only physical sunscreen I found so far that passed my test. It has a small whitecast that is overridden by a light beige tint. Be cautious, it might not fit every skin tone.

• CeraVe Ultra-Light Moisturizing Lotion FPS 30 : My tried-and true, Holy-Grail sunscreen. This has to be one of the beauty products I repurchased most all-around. I absolutely adore the ultra-light, weightless feel, and it is formulated without potentially harmful chemical filters. It’s formulated to be worn alone as moisturizer but I have to admit my dry skin doesn’t find it just  emollient enough. Normal to oily skins would probably love it alone.

• COOLA Makeup Setting Spray FPS 30 : A really cool option that allows for the easiest or reapplication. the ingredient list is impressive, and for those who are interested, 100% organic, like all COOLA products, might I say!

I must’ve tried dozens and dozens of different ones, but none of them come to mind, which is why I’m *that* much more happy to share these. They’re definitely the top of the top, the (sun) cream of the crop!

Sources :

https://www.merckmanuals.com/en-ca/home/skin-disorders/sunlight-and-skin-damage/sunburn

https://www.canada.ca/fr/sante-canada/services/securite-soleil/ecrans-solaires.html

https://oceanservice.noaa.gov/news/sunscreen-corals.html

https://www.consumerreports.org/sunscreens/the-truth-about-reef-safe-sunscreen/