One of the most popular questions dermatologists get asked is can you still tan with SPF 30? In this blog, we aim to answer this popular query to help you understand some misconceptions about SPF and tanning.
We have already written a blog about the best tinted SPF for pale skin. This can be a solution to not tanning or damaging your skin in the sun.
What is SPF?
SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor, hence the expressions of “factor 30” and so on. It is often expressed as a number on sun cream bottles, and it indicates the level of protection provided from the suns UVB rays. In addition to this, SPF also actually indicates how long you can wear the product for before you burn! Who knew?
So, a good way to view how SPF actually works is that for example, if you are extremely fair like myself and burn in the sun without SPF after 15 minutes of exposure, then using a product with SPF 20 will protect you for 20 times that – so you would be protected for 300 minutes or 5 hours, wow!
SPF ranges from 2 to 50+ and what you choose varies depending on your skin type and likelihood of burning.
Will SPF Stop Me From Tanning?
SPF30 will not stop you from tanning completely; it is specifically designed to let a limited number of UV rays through, and that will enable your skin to tan. However, because sunscreen/SPF is inherently designed to protect your skin, it does prevent tanning to an extent.
A lot of people want to get a tan but it’s important to understand that, even if you don’t burn, tanning damages your skin. You may think a tan looks nice, but the fact is that tanning is your body’s response to UV damage.
Can You Tan With SPF 30?
SPF 30 filters out 96.7% of the UV rays, meaning that 3.3% (one-thirtieth) get through. In other words, SPF 50 only protects you 1.3% more than SPF 30. There really isn’t that much of a difference, however those extra SPF percentages can be all the difference in protecting those that are light-sensitive or have a history of skin cancer.
Because sunscreen doesn’t block all UV rays, this means you can still tan while using it, no matter what the SPF is – so you can still tan wearing SPF 50 sunscreen. The more protective alternative to sunscreen would be to wear sunblock, which is designed to block all UV rays.
What type of sun cream should you use?
Actually, there is no one size fits with using sun cream, but the skin cancer foundation recommends that you buy yourself a sun cream that you are actually going to use, rather than basing it on brand, price, or otherwise. However, if you are fair skinned or more likely to burn, then it has been recommended that you aim for products with SPF 30 or above.
We recently wrote a blog on Heliocare 360, which offers maximum protection.
Integrating SPF into your Skincare
We get that sometimes bringing something new into your skincare routine can be a little difficult, but sometimes it really can be just as easy as buying a sun cream specific for your face – ideally one that doesn’t clog your pores but keeps you protected! However, a lot of skincare products now have a low (but still effective) SPF integrated into them whilst still giving you all the benefits of the product, so its even easier to have fabulous skin and be protected from the sun! A lot of our reccomended products have SPF in them, so check out our SPF product selection for more information.
Also, a final thing that we think you need to take into consideration when purchasing a facial sun cream is the ingredients. Certain ingredients like oxybenzone and octinoxate are known to not filter down in water estuaries and cause issues to marine life – we recommend you read our blog post about why reading the ingredients list is so important!
