When it comes to protecting the skin against the harmful rays of the sun, SPF moisturizers aren't cutting it as much as the sunscreens, a recent study says.
There are many products today that allegedly contain SPF, but it doesn't necessarily mean that these are as effective as a sunscreen. Skincare products which are SPF-based have invaded the beauty market, but junkies better listen to what the experts have to say.
The British Association of Dermatologists recently presented a study that showed that no matter the SPF factor in a moisturizer, it wouldn't be that effective in protecting the skin against ultraviolet rays. The result is telling of which of the two really does its job.
In short, the sunscreen provides better protection for the skin than makeups and moisturizers that have SPF. The University of Liverpool researchers made use of a camera that was able to capture UV light to gauge the difference between applying sunscreens and moisturizers with SPF.
Skin that was applied with sunscreen appears black in photos, while those with SPF moisturizers looked lighter than the former. This suggests that the skin absorbs more the sunscreen and therefore is more effective than the moisturizer.
Unexpected Results
Austin McCormick, one of the researchers, said the results were unexpected as the group thought the moisturizers would work better than the sunscreen. As established, the study found the opposite of their expectations as the moisturizer brought less protection against rays than sunscreens.
However, it should be noted that the result doesn't mean SPF moisturizers are not effective. McCormick reiterated that these products also help in protecting the skin against UV rays, but are just not as effective or greater than sunscreens.
That said, the study suggests using beauty products such as makeups and moisturizers with SPF, as it still is better than wearing no protection at all. But for longer stays under the sun, the best product to go with are sunscreens.
It's not all about sunscreens versus SPF moisturizers as the study also found out that people tend to miss the eyelids when the latter is being used. Contrary to some perceptions, eyelids can also be an area for skin cancer.
There are basically loads of sunscreens on the market nowadays, all with the promise of maximum protection against damaging rays of the sun. But for those still clueless of the best among the rest, Consumer Reports released in May a list that had the La Roche-Posay Sunscreen at No. 1, which had been holding on to the top spot for four years in a row now.