What does SPF 30 mean in sunscreen?

You know that little number on your sunscreen SPF 30? It basically means your skin’s only getting hit by about 1/30th of the UVB rays out there. So yeah, it’s blocking around 97% of them, give or take. That’s what helps keep you from burning and protects your skin from long-term damage.

For example, if your skin usually starts turning pink after about 10 minutes in the sun, SPF 30 stretches that time out by roughly 30 times. That’s… what, around 5 hours? But here’s the thing, no sunscreen is set-it-and-forget-it. You’ve gotta reapply it every couple of hours, especially if you’ve been swimming or sweating like crazy. Otherwise, it’s basically just wishful thinking.

Oh, and quick reminder - SPF only covers UVB rays (the ones that burn you). If you want the full deal, look for sunscreens that say “broad-spectrum” on the label. That’s your ticket to protection from both UVA and UVB.

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