When having fun in the sun you need to make sure you stay safe. For the most part we often think of this in terms of the actual activity we are participating in. Such as proper padding if we are playing a contact sport, things like that. But one thing people often overlook is protection for our skin. The sun can be quite harsh on those who are not protected against it.
The sun gives off various radiation that can be harmful to humans. For the most part this comes in two forms, UVA and UVB, also known as Ultraviolet radiation A and B. Sunscreen is used to protect you against these harmful UV rays, but not all sunscreen does it the same. Finding Uva Rated sunscreen is important as most sunscreen are only rated for UVB.
UVB radiation is what sunscreen is primarily meant to guard against. UVB rays are what causes sunburns and can lead to skin cancer. That is what the SPF (Sun Protection Factor) is about, it is telling you how much UVB it guards against. So an SPF of 50 will allow you to handle 50 times as much UVB. While guarding against UVB is important, it is not the only one you should be wary of.
UVA rays are harmful as well, they can lead to skin cancer similarly to UVB and can also cause your skin to look aged by giving you wrinkles and sunspots. This is often a secondary concern which is why a lot of sunscreens are not meant to guard against it. But if you really care about your skin, you should get Uva Rated sunscreen for your outdoor activities.
Keep in mind that SPF does not have any direct involvement with the sunscreens ability to stop UVA rays. SPF is mostly about UVB, but overall it is about general protection against the sun. So just because it has a high SPF does not mean it is protecting you against UVA rays. You need to look and make sure the sunscreen is actually meant to protect you from UVA.
It should say somewhere on the bottle that it guards against UVA as well as UVB. But be mindful that not all sunscreens are top notch, so even if it does say it protects against UVA, it may very well be a sub par sunscreen to begin with. If you want to be extra careful about your skin you should look into the brand you are thinking about buying and see consumer reviews.
Finding Uva Rated sunscreen really is not that difficult. Now days a lot of companies make their sunscreen guard against UVA as well as UVB. But even so, there are still many more who do not do that, so do not grab a bottle and assume it will guard against UVA.
It may seem like a hassle, looking into the brand, checking the bottle, and taking all this extra precaution. It may seem a bit over the top. But if you have sensitive skin or simply want to keep yourself protected, it can be well worth it. Especially since all this only needs to be done once, then you know what brand to buy.