Sunscreen Arms Race - How About a 500 SPF Product?

For those of you who haven't met me, to classify me as pasty is fair.  Irish blood has made me that way, which means I need some sunscreen protection when it's beach or pool time.  I've long since given up on the bronze tan, I'll settle now for people not squinting if they look my way, as the sun deflects off of my skin like it was aluminum foil.

Given my history as pasty-man, I've grown skeptical of the need for even 50 SPF sunscreen.  After all, if I burn in 20 minutes without sunscreen, 50 SPF means I have the ability to stay out in the sun (properly applied with no water erosion) for 1,000 minutes, right? 

As it turns out, there's a SPF marketing arms race that's going on right now.  More from the New York Times:

"LAST year, Coppertone rolled out two easy-to-use sprays with its highest-ever sun protection factor: SPF 70+. Not to be outdone, Neutrogena offered its Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch lotion in SPF 85 strength, that year’s big gun.   This sun season, Banana Boat is retaliating with a pair of SPF 85 sprays, which it trumpets on its Web site as “our highest SPF level in a continuous spray formula.” 

But now, SPF creep has hit the triple digits with Neutrogena’s SPF 100+ sunblock, leading some dermatologists to complain that this is merely a numbers game that confuses consumers.  The parade of stratospheric SPFs is “crazy,” said Dr. Barbara A. Gilchrest, a dermatology professor at Boston University School of Medicine. “For a normal person who is fair-skinned and concerned about skin damage and photoaging,” Dr. Gilchrest said, “it’s really in my opinion tremendous overkill.”

But that’s not necessarily the case. No SPF, not even 100+, offers 100 percent protection. What’s more, both UVA and UVB radiation can lead to skin cancer, which is why dermatologists now advise using sunscreens with an SPF of at least 15 and UVA-fighting ingredients like an avobenzone that doesn’t degrade in light or Mexoryl SX.

The difference in UVB protection between an SPF 100 and SPF 50 is marginal. Far from offering double the blockage, SPF 100 blocks 99 percent of UVB rays, while SPF 50 blocks 98 percent. (SPF 30, that old-timer, holds its own, deflecting 96.7 percent)."

Good to know.  Remember, when you see me on the beach, be sure your sunglasses are on.  The glare can be blinding...

Editor's Note: By day, Kris Dunn is the VP of People at DAXKO, a cool software firm dedicated to providing solutions to the best membership-driven organizations in America. At night, he morphs into a blogger at The HR Capitalist and the Founder and Executive Editor of Fistful of Talent. That makes him a career VP of HR, a blogger, a dad and a hoops junkie, the order of which changes based on his mood. Tweet him @kris_dunn...

Comments

[Bill Brooks]

I have 2 friends that, from your description, have similar skin types to yours. They "religiously" use sun screen, all the time, anytime they are in the sun.

Now. both of them have been diagnosed with Vitamin D deficiency. As it turns out, the body needs a little sun a day, roughly 15 minutes, in order naturally generate Vitamin D. Protecting yourself constantly from any sun contact can actually have a negative effect.

This too appears to be an "all things in moderation" issue.

[Tanya]

In certain countries it is illegal to create label any sunscreen more than 15+ since the likelihood that it will stay on long enough to merit that 1000 hours worth of protection is pretty slim.