“I recommend a physical or mineral sunscreen that contains zinc oxide as the active ingredient,” said dermatologist Dr. Mojgan Hosseinipour. “Tinted sunscreens contain iron oxides that protect against blue light, infrared and visible light as well. Choose a sunscreen that has an SPF of 30 or higher, is water-resistant, and provides broad-spectrum coverage, which means it protects you from UVA and UVB rays [two types of ultraviolet light].”
If you’re confused about how to read all of this on a label, Song put it this way: “‘SPF’ stands for ‘sun protection factor,’ and ‘PA’ stands for ‘protection of UVA rays.’ An SPF number of 30 and up is recommended, with a PA rating of 4-plus. If you’re wearing SPF 30, it blocks 97% of UVB, whereas SPF 50 blocks 98% of UVB rays. While SPF only measures for UVB protection, PA measures for UVA protection, and more pluses means higher protection.”
Finally, SPF makeup doesn’t make the grade for medical aesthetician Victoria Waked. “Makeup with SPF is not enough coverage,” she said. “People often apply makeup sparingly, focusing on achieving a desired look rather than ensuring even and thorough sun protection. This can result in an insufficient amount of SPF being applied, leading to reduced effectiveness in shielding the skin from UV rays.”
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