BSCKII Duong Thi Lan - Deputy Head of the Outpatient Department, Central Dermatology Hospital - said that sunscreen should be used daily, even when it is shady or indoors. The reason is that ultraviolet (UV) rays are still present in the natural light environment and can cause skin damage even if you do not clearly feel the heat from the sun.
According to Dr. Lan, SPF is an index that shows the ability to protect the skin from UVB rays - the main factor causing sunburn and skin surface damage. Currently, experts often recommend using sunscreen with SPF from 30 to 50.
In fact, the difference in protection effectiveness between SPF indices is not too large. SPF 30 can block about 97% of UVB rays, while SPF 50 blocks about 98%. This shows that the higher the SPF, the higher the sun protection capability increases according to the corresponding ratio.
No sunscreen can completely block 100% of UV rays," Dr. Lan emphasized.
Besides SPF, experts believe that users need to pay attention to the PA index - a factor reflecting the ability to protect the skin from UVA rays. This is a type of ray that can penetrate deep into the skin, promote aging, cause dark spots and damage skin structure.
Notably, UVA rays exist relatively stably throughout the day, regardless of hot or cloudy weather. Therefore, an effective sunscreen product needs to be able to simultaneously protect against both UVA and UVB rays.
According to Dr. Lan's recommendations, people who mainly work indoors can choose sunscreen SPF from 30 to 50 combined with PA+++ or PA++++ indices. For people who regularly work outdoors and are exposed to a lot of sun, they can consider SPF products from 50 and above suitable for their skin type.
According to doctors, people who regularly work with electronic devices can consider choosing sunscreen products with additional protection against blue light to help limit signs of skin aging.
