SPF Explained - What is our 5*-Rated Broad Spectrum SPF50?
Have we ever mentioned SPF50 before? I don’t think we have, so let’s talk about it some more. Sorry to sound like a bit of a broken record, but we just cannot stress enough how important it is to wear high quality SPF every day, whether you’re out and about or chilling in the garden at home. We know it’s a pain but, for those suffering with Rosacea and other similar skin conditions, it can make all the difference when it comes to caring for your skin and preventing flare-ups and redness.
The sun can have short and long term damaging effects on your skin. In the short term, that can manifest as sunburn, dizziness and nausea, or even blisters, but all of those fade in time. In the long term, however, sun damage can lead to dull, dry and unevenly-toned skin, which is the last thing you want if you’re already dealing with rosacea as it is! Sun damage also slows down the rate of skin cell renewal, which can lead to your skin issues worsening and staying worse for much longer than if you were wearing protection.
With all of this in mind and with Summer here at last, we wanted to give you a bit of insight into how we put together our 5*-Rated Broad Spectrum SPF50 in our Rosalique formula and answer a few questions you may have about what that jargon actually means.
What does SPF50 mean?
The “SPF” stands for Sun Protection Factor – pretty self-explanatory. The higher the SPF rating, the longer your skin will be protected from the suns harmful UV rays. It is recommended that you reapply sunscreen every two hours to top up the protection as it wanes over time, due to the elements, along with improper application, leaving your skin exposed.
What does Broad Spectrum mean?
Broad Spectrum is used to describe a type of sunscreen or make-up that protects against both UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays are the ones that most sunscreens protect your skin from. They penetrate only the upper layers of your skin and, while not harmless (they can lead to sunburn and mild skin cancers in the longer term), it is the UVA rays that penetrate deep into the lower layers, called the “dermis”, and cause real damage to your skin from within. Make-up and sunscreen with the “Broad Spectrum” banner protect against both.
Mineral vs Synthetic Sunscreen
Mineral or “physical” sun filters use minerals as their active ingredients. The minerals most often used are zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. Mineral sunscreens are sometimes called physical sunscreens because they literally provide a physical barrier between your skin and the sun's rays.
We are, of course, all in favour of natural ingredients but the issue with physical sun filters is that they must be quite thick to be effective. Therefore, it is not possible to create an entirely natural physical sunscreen without it looking quite cakey and white, which is something we (and you, we’re sure) would like to avoid! That’s why our SPF is based on titanium dioxide, with a synthetic modifier. That way, we get proper protection and a natural look - the best of both worlds!
What is the Boots SPF Rating Scale and how did we do?
The Boots SPF rating system was developed nearly 30 years ago in 1992 and was Europe’s first system put in place to measure UVA protection. Ranging from 0 to 5, this rating tells us the degree to which UVA radiation is absorbed by the sunscreen in question. The higher the rating, the better the protection against UVA rays. We’re ecstatic to tell you that Rosalique has been awarded a 5* rating! For smooth, even coverage and excellent protection against UVA and UVB rays this summer, give Rosalique a try!
