There’s a lot of conversation about SPF today, be it celebrities citing it as the one product they never skip, or beauty gurus recommending their favourite sunscreens. But despite increased skincare awareness today, many still don’t know how much sunscreen one actually needs to apply.
We’ve all heard the famous Bollywood line, “Ek chutki sindoor ki keemat tum kya jaano, Ramesh babu?” from Deepika Padukone and Shah Rukh Khan-starrer ‘Om Shanti Om’. But when it comes to sunscreen, ek chutki just won’t cut it. Today, on World Sunscreen Day, let’s set the record straight on a sunscreen myth that’s quietly sabotaging your skin: the amount of SPF you actually need to apply.
Dr. Michelle Wong, the cosmetic chemist and genius behind Lab Muffin Beauty Science, has some valuable insights on the subject. According to her, to get the full protection your sunscreen promises — be it SPF 30 or SPF 50 — you need to apply about the width of two fingers worth of sunscreen. Sounds like a lot? Well, that’s roughly a quarter teaspoon per body area, and this is exactly what brands use when they test their SPF claims in labs.
According to Johns Hopkins Medicine, you need 1 ounce of sunscreen to cover the face, neck, arms and legs.
When manufacturers test SPF levels, they slather on about 2 milligrams of sunscreen per square centimetre of skin. This is the amount of SPF you typically need to apply to get the SPF 30 or SPF 50 mentioned on the bottle. If you apply less, you won't get as much protection. This standard amount ensures the sunscreen can block or absorb enough UV rays to protect you as advertised.
So, if you have been using less than this, you are not really getting the protection ensured on the bottle.
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It’s not just about the quantity of sunscreen you apply, but also how often you apply it. Sunscreen isn’t a one-and-done deal. Whether you’re stepping outside or even spending time indoors by a sunny window, reapplication is key.
Dermatologist Dr. Dray recommends reapplying sunscreen every two hours if you’re out and about. While sunscreens with a higher SPF need less frequent re-application, there is a caveat. The oils in the skin break down your SPF, and it stops blocking UV rays after a point. Plus, sweating, friction, rain also break down sunscreens.
A common myth is that SPF 50 offers only a slight improvement over SPF 30. Dr Wong clarifies this by explaining that SPF 15 blocks 93.3% of UV rays, SPF 30 blocks 96.7%, and SPF 50 blocks 98%.
While the difference between SPF 30 and SPF 50 may seem small, just 1.3%—Dr Wong highlights a crucial point: SPF 30 lets 1.5 times more UV rays reach the skin compared to SPF 50. This means SPF 50 provides significantly better protection, making the assumption that SPF 30 is “good enough” misleading, and potentially risky for skin health.
So this World Sunscreen Day, remember: save the “ek chutki” for sindoor, and slather on plenty of sunscreen. Because when it comes to protecting your skin, more is definitely less!
