{"id":1485,"date":"2022-07-05T11:52:32","date_gmt":"2022-07-05T11:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.skincancer.org\/?p=1485"},"modified":"2025-06-10T14:19:53","modified_gmt":"2025-06-10T14:19:53","slug":"how-to-read-a-sunscreen-label","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/how-to-read-a-sunscreen-label\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Read a Sunscreen Label","gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"text"}]},"content":{"rendered":"

Reading a sunscreen<\/a> label shouldn\u2019t be like deciphering a foreign language. But a study in JAMA Dermatology<\/em>\u00a0found that many people don\u2019t understand how to read a sunscreen label or how the product protects the skin. Only 43 percent of survey respondents understood the meaning of an SPF value.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Given these findings, we considered it a good time to brush up on sunscreen basics. Here are explanations of key terms appearing on sunscreen labels that you should understand when selecting a product:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Broad Spectrum:<\/strong>\u00a0It\u2019s essential for your sunscreen to offer broad spectrum protection, which means that it offers effective protection against both<\/em> UVA<\/strong> (ultraviolet A)<\/a> and\u00a0UVB\u00a0<\/b>(ultraviolet B)<\/a> rays, 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 skin\u2019s upper surface and are the main cause of sunburn<\/a>. Both cause skin cancer.<\/li>\n
  2. Sun Protection Factor (SPF):<\/strong>\u00a0SPF<\/a> is a measure of how long a person can stay in the sun before its UVB rays start to burn the skin. \u00a0Let\u2019s say with no sunscreen, your skin starts to redden in 20 minutes. An SPF 30 will theoretically allow you to stay in the sun 30 times longer without getting burned. But keep in mind that SPF numbers are determined in a lab. In the real world, no matter what the SPF, sunscreens start to lose effectiveness over time, so it\u2019s important to reapply every two hours and after swimming or heavy sweating. Also note that above SPF 50 the amount of additional sun protection is negligible. The Skin Cancer Foundation recommends always using a broad spectrum sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher \u2013 SPF 50 or higher for extended stays outdoors.<\/li>\n
  3. Water-resistant<\/b>: The terms \u201cwater-resistant\u201d and \u201csweat-resistant\u201d indicate whether the sunscreen remains effective for 40 minutes or 80 minutes when you are swimming or sweating. Since no sunscreen is fully \u201cwaterproof\u201d or \u201csweatproof,\u201d the FDA prohibits these terms.<\/li>\n
  4. The Skin Cancer Foundation Seal of Recommendation<\/strong>: Look for our Seal to assure yourself that a product is safe and effective. \u00a0Scientific data for each product that is submitted for the\u00a0Seal of Recommendation<\/a>\u00a0is reviewed by a volunteer committee of renowned photobiologists \u2014 experts in the study of the interaction of ultraviolet radiation and the skin. The Daily Use Seal<\/strong> is earned by sunscreens that protect against brief everyday sun exposures, the kind you experience walking to the car or running errands. The Active Seal<\/strong> is earned by sunscreens that protect against prolonged sun exposure, like when you\u2019re exercising outdoors or spending the day at the beach.<\/li>\n
  5. Active ingredients<\/b>: This area of the label, often on the back of the bottle, lists the main ingredients in sunscreens that protect your skin against UV rays. There are two main types of active sunscreen ingredients<\/a>: chemical and physical. Chemical ingredients such as avobenzone and benzophenone, work by\u00a0absorbing<\/i> 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 reflect<\/i> and scatter UV rays. Many sunscreens available today combine chemical and physical ingredients.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

    Reading a sunscreen label shouldn\u2019t be like deciphering a foreign language. But many people don\u2019t understand how to read a sunscreen label or how the product protects the skin. Now is a good time to brush up on sunscreen terminology like SPF and broad spectrum.<\/p>\n","protected":false,"gt_translate_keys":[{"key":"rendered","format":"html"}]},"author":1,"featured_media":6859,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[5518,5],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1485","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-child-sun-safety","category-healthy-lifestyle"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Read a Sunscreen Label - The Skin Cancer Foundation<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Get explanations of key terms appearing on sunscreen labels that you should understand when selecting a sunscreen product.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/how-to-read-a-sunscreen-label\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"How to Read a Sunscreen Label\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Get explanations of key terms appearing on sunscreen labels that you should understand when selecting a sunscreen product.\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/how-to-read-a-sunscreen-label\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"The Skin Cancer Foundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:publisher\" content=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/skincancerfoundation\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2022-07-05T11:52:32+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:modified_time\" content=\"2025-06-10T14:19:53+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-949515556.jpg\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:width\" content=\"1920\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:height\" content=\"1282\" \/>\n\t<meta property=\"og:image:type\" content=\"image\/jpeg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Skin Cancer Foundation\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:creator\" content=\"@skincancerorg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:site\" content=\"@skincancerorg\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Skin Cancer Foundation\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"3 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"Article\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/how-to-read-a-sunscreen-label\/#article\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/how-to-read-a-sunscreen-label\/\"},\"author\":{\"name\":\"Skin Cancer Foundation\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#\/schema\/person\/77f1ad8cb112be1b1ac2c792401b18b4\"},\"headline\":\"How to Read a Sunscreen Label\",\"datePublished\":\"2022-07-05T11:52:32+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2025-06-10T14:19:53+00:00\",\"mainEntityOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/how-to-read-a-sunscreen-label\/\"},\"wordCount\":537,\"publisher\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/#organization\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/how-to-read-a-sunscreen-label\/#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/GettyImages-949515556.jpg\",\"articleSection\":[\"Child Sun Safety\",\"Healthy Lifestyle\"],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/how-to-read-a-sunscreen-label\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.skincancer.org\/blog\/how-to-read-a-sunscreen-label\/\",\"name\":\"How to Read a Sunscreen Label - 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