Introducing a new sunscreen!

We started carrying a new sunscreen last week, so I thought it would be a good time to give a refresher on SPF. What exactly does sun protection factor tell you?

The true meaning of SPF is how long you can stay in the sun without burning. An SPF 15 sunscreen, which experts still consider to be a good shield from the sun's rays, allows you to stay out 15 times as long as you normally would be able to without sunscreen. For example, if you usually burn in 20 minutes, you could stay out as many as 300 minutes with SPF 15 protection on. That's 5 hours!

But before you go to the ballgame and sit through extra innings without reapplying, the more important thing about sunscreen is how much sunlight it's actually blocking. An SPF 15 product blocks about 94% of UVB burning rays, while SPF 30 shields you from 98%. That's why SPF 30 is our preference for any sun exposure that's more than incidental, like picnics in the park or long bike rides.

You also want a broad spectrum product that blocks both UVB and UVA rays, which age skin. And we prefer natural sunscreen with zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, which physically block rays, to a chemical one that needs to penetrate skin to work. These mineral ingredients have been tested safe; in fact, our new product, Soleo Organics All Natural Sunscreen, is the top rated sunscreen by the Environmental Working Group.