As a guy who’s never bought (or used) sunscreen before, the walk down the sunscreen aisle was rather confusing. I tried some quick googling and reading up and the consensus seems to be that higher the SPF number, better the ability to block/absorb UVB rays.
Given this, if we’ve succeeded in concocting SPF 85 lotion, why are SPF 15 lotions still available from the same brand? Aren’t we all, of every skin tone, better off using a higher SPF rated sunscreen?
not if you want to get a tan.
Bah! I keep forgetting people out here actually *want *darker skin tones.
I don’t need a higher SPF, a 12 or 15 is fine. And, I like getting some Vitamin D from the sun. I use those facial moisterizers with a SPF 12 or so on my face and arms, that’s all I need. Higher SPF formulaes sometimes bother my skin, also.
Higher SPFs can be greasy as hell and leave a whitish cast to your face. I assumed the white was from high levels of titanium dioxide.
I wear SPF 4 sunscreen on the golf course. Keeps the sunburn away, and it’s all I need.
Once you have cut your exposure to 1/30, I’m not sure it makes any significant difference to cut it further to 1/85. If I use SPF 15 and spend 8 hours in the sun, it’s like about a half hour with no protection. Going to 45 (the highest I’ve seen) that is like about 10 minutes.
BTW it is possible to sustain skin damage without getting a burn.
SPF is just a number to indicate how long you can stay out in the sun without getting burned. But this number is an individual thing.
For example Marcia, Jan and Thindy all go to the beach. Each has a different skin tone.
Let’s say if Marcia stays out 15 minutes she gets burned. Jan can stay out 30 minutes before getting burned and Thindy can stay out 2 hours before getting burned. That is they can stay out without any sunscreen protection at all.
If Marcia uses an SPF of 15 that means she can stay out in the sun only 15 minutes without sunscreen or she’ll get burned. But with an SPF15 she can stay out 15 times as long. That means by putting on the sunscreen Marcia can stay out 225 minutes (3 hours and 45 minutes) efore she’ll get a burn. ‘’
But Jan who has less sensitive skin can stay out 30 minutes without getting burned. So she can stay out 15 X 30 minutes if she uses the sunscreen or 450 minutes (7.5 hous) before getting burned
Thindy stays out 2 hours without sunscreen before getting burned. So she can stay out for THIRTY HOURS by using a sunscreen SPF15.
So you can see the sun don’t shine 30 hours (in most places),
So the same product with an SPF of 15 has different effects on people depending on where they are located and the type of skin to begin with
Then you have the stuff with an SPF of 2 (usually with coconut oil in it) in it that’s basically cooking oil. 
(Actually, they market it as “tanning oil,” be we always call it “cooking oil” in my family.)
… wow. I’m jealous that someone can just use SPF 4 and not burn!
What do you mean “we,” Paleface?
There’s no real good evidence that SPFs higher than 30 confer significant additional protection. If you have a very vulnerable spot that needs protecting more than the rest of you, use zinc oxide if SPF 30 doesn’t inspire you with enough confidence.
I would save the jealousy. Unless a much higher level of protection is being used, this person is still sustaining permanent skin damage and premature aging, and is running an extremely high risk of skin cancer, with or without a visible burn. (And most people don’t bother with any sun protectant at all, even SPF 4.) Everyone needs to use SPF 30-45, regardless of skin tone, even those with the darkest skin. The level of general misinformation about these issues is almost beyond belief.
Any reason for us to take your word for that over Dr. Mercotan’s, Anise?
It is my understanding that you actually don’ cut your exposure to 1/30 or 1/85, those figures corresponding to a much larger amount of sunscreen than people actually use.
Extremely high risk of skin cancer? What’s your definition of extremely high?
I don’t think that Anise is contradicting Qadgop.
The main point of Anise’s post is that everyone should use a high-SPF sunblock all the time, regardless of skin tone, which is consistent with all of the advice I have heard for the last 20+ years.
Qadgop’s comment is that SPF factors beyond 30 don’t give much more added protection than those of SPF 30. In other words, there is not much difference between SPF 30 or SPF 45 or SPF 70. This is also consistent with what I have heard.
This does not mean that there is no significant difference between using not using sunscreen at all (or perhaps using an SPF 4 sunscreen) vs. using a sunblock with an SPF of at least 30.
Anise may be overreaching with his/her comment regarding “extremely high risk of skin cancer” as opposed to an increased risk.
There’s actually a lot of uncertainty about what level of SPF to use. Several studies have suggested that high levels of SPF, if absorbed into the skin, actually increase the chance of melanoma even as they prevent sunburn. Some experts suggest these results are due to people having a false sense of security when wearing high SPF, rather than anything to do with the product itself. There’s not universal agreement on the relative levels of UV protection provided by SPF 15 and 30, either. Higher SPF levels also reduce Vitamin D. If you look around at a half-dozen respectable web sites on the subject, you’ll see a lot of hedging and some contradictory information.
It’s clear to me, though, that some people have a naturally higher risk of skin cancer than others, and that adequate protection in the winter may not be adequate in the summer, and 8 hours outside is more dangerous that 2 hours, and equatorial zones and different from temperate zones. So it seems obviously wrong to say that everyone needs SPF 30-45 all the time.
How long have you been sitting on that, waiting for a chance to use it? 
Well, as the person in question I’d certainly agree with that last statement. SPF 45 is for vampires who need to venture out in the daylight.
Seriously, I’m 62, hale and hearty, and the only problem my doctor found with me during my physical last February is that my Vitamin D levels were low. (Hey, it was February, for crying out loud - there’s practically no sun out there!) He’s got me taking an over-the-counter Vitamin D supplement.