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Sunscreen Bottle Numbers
What the numbers mean on a sunscreen bottle.
If you are like most, you haven't given too much thought to what the sunscreen bottle numbers mean. Actually, they are the result of a formula.
Theoretically, if your skin begins to burn ten minutes after sun exposure; and you choose a sunscreen with an SPF of 15 - your skin should not begin to burn for 150 minutes (instead of ten minutes without sunscreen.)
Here's a sunscreen formula to help you determine what level of sunscreen protection may be best for your skin. I will use myself as an example:
My skin starts to burn 10 minutes after I am in the sun 10
My bottle of sunscreen reads SPF - 15 x15
Using my sunscreen, my skin should not start burning for 150 minutes
Of course everyone's skin differs, so this is not an exact science formula, but it is a guideline that I find useful for myself.
Take a quiz and learn more about sun safety from the American Cancer Society here
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