SPF confuses.

[aliva]

SPF provided in the creams is very good for the skin if you are often exposed to the sun. Its application should depend on how much time you spend in the sun. But the SPF contents of face cream confuse me too much. How to choose and decide what strength is right for you?

[Deepak]

The SPF factor rates how effective the sunscreen is in preventing sunburn caused by UVB rays. If you'd normally burn in 10 minutes, SPF 15 multiplies that by a factor of 15, meaning you could go 150 minutes before burning.

For the vast majority of people, SPF 15 is fine,But people who have very fair skin, a family history of skin cancer, or conditions like lupus that increase sensitivity to sunlight should consider SPF 30 or higher.

Keep in mind that the higher the SPF, the smaller the increased benefit: contrary to what you might think, SPF 30 isn't twice as strong as SPF 15. While SPF 15 filters out 93% of UVB, SPF 30 filters out 97%, only a slight improvement.

So when it comes to UVA protection, you need to pay attention to the ingredients than SPF.Look for a sunscreen that contains any of these:ecamsule, avobenzone, oxybenzone, titanium dioxide, sulisobenzone, or zinc oxide.

[chicque]

higher SPF just means you have a better chance of not getting burned if you don't reapply after an hour. but otherwise, the difference in protection is not that significant.

[aliva]

Very useful formula that admn. posted here. I was totally unaware with it. However, with all of your suggestions, I feel it is better to use a lower strength and re-apply if I am in the sun for longer than 4 hours at a stretch. Again above 30 strength in SPF is quite unnecessary for a daily use. Some creams react to my skin, so I will start with a smaller pack to decide on what suits my particular requirement.

Thanks all for the valuable suggestions.

[Starchild47]

I have seen lots of differing opinions by the experts on this. I have heard using anything above a 15 is a waste of money. However, I have heard or read that they recommend reapplying a 15 every 30 minutes to get adequate coverage when out in direct sunlight for prolonged periods of time. I personally use a 30 and apply it about every hour. It works for me