Are tanning oils safe to use?
Most tanning oils, like baby oil, don't have sunscreen. Because they're used only to enhance tanning, they don't protect your skin from being burned or exposure to harmful UVA or UVB rays, Dr. Taylor says.
How high an SPF do I need?
SPF, or Sun Protection Factor, is a measure of how effective a sunscreen is against UVB rays. Broad-spectrum products must offer equivalent protection against UVA, according to a Food and Drug Administration (FDA) rule that went into effect in 2012.
A broad-spectrum SPF 30 sunscreen is fine for everyday use, but apply SPF 50 when you're spending the day outdoors or at the beach, the American Academy of Dermatology recommends.
Beyond that point, a higher SPF offers little added protection, Dr. Taylor notes.
"SPF 30 protects the skin from about 97% of the sun's rays, while an SPF 50 protects the skin from about 98%," she says.
With an SPF higher than 50, "you're just getting more chemicals, which are added to keep the sunscreen on the skin longer," she adds.
Is there a difference between sunscreen and sun block?
There's no such thing as "sun block," Dr. Krant says.
That's because no sun-protection product can stop 100% of the sun's rays.
As a result, the FDA no longer allows the phrase "sun block" on package labeling.
The FDA has also banned the word "waterproof," because no sunscreen can stay on indefinitely in the water. Instead, it can be labeled "water resistant" for a certain amount of time.
"These changes make it easier to know what you're getting," Dr. Krant says.
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