Issue date: 8/21/07 Section: News

Media Credit: Rachel Bujalski / Daily Vidette Staf

There are many common beliefs about sunscreen usage that may not necessarily be true and could prove to be very dangerous to your health.

The most pressing of the sunscreen issue is the SPF rating. Most customers just see a number when they purchase their bottle, and figure the higher the number, the greater the protection from the sun you're getting.

ISU Health Services Health Educator Jim Almeda said that that is not quite the case.

"It is and it isn't. The real misnomer is that the higher the SPF rating, the longer you can stay out in the sun. I would recommend an SPF of at least 45," Almeda said.

The SPF rating system breaks down as such: A rating of 15 means 93 percent of UV rays are blocked, and anything higher than 30 remains in the 97 or 98 percent range.

Though there are products marked higher than SPF 30, the amount of extra protection is minimal.

In 1999, the Food and Drug Administration recommended that sunscreens with an SPF higher than 30 be labeled "30+," mostly to prevent people from developing a false sense of security that might lead them to spend more time in the sun.

Taylor Jones, a senior communication major, is usually pretty responsible when purchasing her sunscreen products.

"I always check the SPF number when I buy my sunscreen. I usually get about 14," Jones said.

Almeda said that students seeking protection against the sun's rays should look even beyond the percentage of rays the are blocked and focus on the type of rays that are blocked.

"They need to make sure when they buy sunscreen that it protects against both UV-A and UV-B rays. Most protect against the UV-B, which cause sunburn, but the UV-A rays are what can get into your system and start to cause skin cancer," Almeda said.

Jones thinks the awareness of SPF ratings and sunscreen use in general varies from person to person.

"I think that a person who has fair skin probably cares more about their sunscreen products than a darker skinned person," Jones said.

But, that is yet another sunscreen myth that students can't be fooled by.

"Obviously people with lighter skin are more prone to burns, but everyone is equally prone to the more harmful UV-A rays," Almeda said.

It's important that people with darker skin don't get lulled into thinking they don't need to put any sun block on because they don't think they will burn," Almeda added.

Almeda also expressed the importance of reapplying sunscreen.

"It's also important to reapply if you're going to be out for a long time, and to make sure you really put enough on so that it gets absorbed deep into your skin and gives you the kind of protection you need," Almeda said.

As far as treatment for a bad sunburn, Almeda explains that there's no sure fire cure, but rather a set of steps to take to ease the pain.

"You can take a pain killer or an ibuprofen, use a cold compress or apply some aloe gel to relieve the pain as much as you can, but there's not much to do in the way of making it go away quicker," Almeda said.

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