What You Need To Know About SPF

What SPF Do You Need?

USE SPF 30 AND UP

There are two types of rays you want protection from — UVA and UVB. The former is more dangerous than the latter, but you’ll want protection from both. Look for “broad spectrum” or UVA/UVB protection” on the bottle. “Anything under 30 isn’t that useful,” Bezozo says. While no sunscreen is 100 percent at blocking UVA and UVB rays, anything over 45 is overkill. Products with SPF 45 block 98 percent of harmful rays. Sunblocks like zinc offer even more protection and are better used when and where the  sun is more intense.

(Fun fact: If your shadow is shorter than you are, you’re odds of getting burned go up.