HARMFUL: Sunscreens are only part of measures against ultraviolet rays, the FDA said, advising people to wear protective clothing and sunglasses

Taipei Times
Date: Jul 29, 2019
By: Lee I-chia  /  Staff reporter

Sunscreens with higher sun protection factor (SPF) do not prevent the skin from getting tanned, although they do provide protection against sunburn, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) said.

The FDA made the announcement in a post on its Web site dedicated to dispelling rumors to clear a common misconception about sunscreens. The post is titled: “Is it more difficult to get tanned if I apply sunscreens with higher SPFs?”

For example, if the skin normally gets burned after 10 minutes in the sun, applying an SPF 15 sunscreen allows the person to stay in the sun without getting sunburned for about 150 minutes, it said, giving a formula of 10 minutes multiplied by the SPF of 15.

However, skin damage, melanin pigmentation and tanning can still occur even if the skin is not burned, the FDA said.    [FULL  STORY]