Know your Sunscreens to Prevent Sunburn
With the rise in media coverage on the benefits of sun protection, in recent years, products like sunblock lotions and sunscreen sprays, moisturizers or makeup with SPF have received much attention. From protecting skin against sunburns to preventing premature skin ageing, sun protection for the body and face will be a mainstay for years to come, and it is high time to get familiar with it.
Let Paula’s Choice get you started on this journey of discovery, complete with tips and recommendations.
PA+ Sunscreen Symbol
Firstly, what does the PA+ sunscreen symbol actually mean?
In general, the SPF or Sun Protection Factor labelled on your sunblock bottle is a measure of how long you can stay outside during the day while remaining protected from the sun. Assuming you’re applying sunscreen on your face and body correctly, products with SPF will offer you protection against sunburn-causing UVB rays.
The PA+ rating system comes into play when dealing with the UVA rays that are present as well. That is why some sunscreens include PA+ ratings on their products. The letters “PA” followed by plus signs (PA+, PA++, PA+++, and PA++++) on a label are a rating system developed in Japan to represent how much UVA protection the product provides for you.
While the sun’s UVA rays do not cause sunburn, they can cause skin to tan and turn brown. UVA rays are more commonly known as the sun’s silent killers because you don’t feel them affecting skin. Despite the lack of pain associated with UVA rays, they penetrate deeply into skin, causing a somewhat different type of damage than UVB rays.
This is What Each PA Rating Means:
PA+ = Some UVA protection.
PA++ = Moderate UVA protection.
PA+++ = High UVA protection.
PA++++ = Extremely High UVA protection.
As helpful as the PA rating system may seem, there are some drawbacks that may make it questionable.
Significantly, not all countries agree with how the PA measurement values are achieved. This leads to inconsistency and lack of reliability if you’re trying to compare different sun protection products.
Another issue is that the PA rating doesn’t show how the sunscreen prevents sunburn but it only measures how much the sun’s UVA rays cause the skin to become brown and stay brown (a process called Persistent Pigment Darkening or PPD).
In the actual tests to determine the PA rating of a sunscreen, testers are exposed only to the sun’s UVA rays. However, not everyone’s skin turns brown equally in the PPD process and the colour differences in people’s skin after UVA exposure is inconsistent. Some skin gets darker, some not as dark, and some take longer than others to turn brown. Research has shown that because of this discrepancy, darker-skinned individuals may assume that they are not being affected by UV radiation and thus overlook sun protection measures. This makes it all the more important that sunscreen or sunblock actually delivers the protection it promises.
The PA rating is also not related to time as the SPF numbers are, which causes a great deal of confusion as to what the PA+ actually means. In other words, in real-world use, no one knows how accurate or applicable the PA rating may be from person to person. Therefore, it is not that reliable in general and for usage on a wide range of skin colours.
What is Broad Spectrum Sun Protection?
Regulatory agencies in most countries, especially in the European Union (EU) and in the United States, use the SPF ratings to include both UVA and UVB protection. This is a more accurate representation of a real-world experience as people are always simultaneously exposed to both UVA and UVB rays in the sun. In these countries, the term Broad-Spectrum Protection is on the label of sunblocks or sunscreens to indicate that the product has passed testing. And when applied to the face or body, they are capable of protecting users from both UVA and UVB damage.
According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA):
Scientific data demonstrated that products that are “Broad Spectrum SPF 15” [or higher] can reduce the risk of skin cancer and early skin aging, in addition to preventing sunburn. This is especially so when such products are used along with other sun protection measures like wearing protective clothing or being in the shade.
Whether a sunblock uses the PA rating system or not (and it’s neither essential nor a mark of a superior product), a tip for purchasing well-formulated sunscreens will be the declaration of its broad-spectrum protection. However, consumers should proactively look out for detailed information on a product’s sun protection claims before use as not all broad spectrum products may live up to the protection they promise.
As with any sunscreen, the product must be applied liberally and reapplied onto the skin as needed to maintain the indicated level of protection. If you’re not following the best practices for applying sunscreen, you might be minimising the protection you get from your broad spectrum sunscreen!
Learn more about sunscreen with Paula’s Choice’s expert advice to guide you along.
Shop for our highly raved sunscreens for quality protection under the sun, including the best sunscreens for dry skin!
References for this information
- Pharmacognosy Journal, May-June 2016, pages 171–179
- Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology, January 2013, pages 16–26
- British Journal of Dermatology, May 2011, pages 1356–1361
- FDA Announces New Requirements for OTC Sunscreen Products Marketing in the U.S.
- Coelho, S. G., Rua, D., Miller, S. A., & Agrawal, A. (2020). Suboptimal UVA attenuation by broad spectrum sunscreens under outdoor solar conditions contributes to lifetime UVA burden. Photodermatology, photoimmunology & photomedicine, 36(1), 42–52. https://doi.org/10.1111/phpp.12503
- Tsai, J., & Chien, A. L. (2022). Photoprotection for Skin of Color. American journal of clinical dermatology, 23(2), 195–205. https://doi.org/10.1007/s40257-021-00670-z
