SPF 100+….Sun Savvy or Suspicious?

by nicole ~ May 14, 2009

A few weeks ago, in preparation for a day in the sun, I decided it was time to toss last year’s sunblock and pick up a new bottle.  Browsing the isles at Walgreens I was totally surprised to see sunblock with SPFs of up to 70 and 80.  When I was younger my family typically had bottles of 4, 8 and 15 on hand…sometimes 30 if we were going on vacation or planning days in the sun.  Now that I spend less time in the sun, I typically opt for 30 and always thought that was enough. 

Well, I guess I’m not the only one who is confused, because yesterday The New York Times dedicated an entire article to this new confusion over ultra-high SPFs.  According to the article:

“LAST year, Coppertone rolled out two easy-to-use sprays with its highest-ever sun protection factor: SPF 70+. Not to be outdone, Neutrogena offered its Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch lotion in SPF 85 strength, that year’s big gun.”

The article then goes on to say:

“But now, SPF creep has hit the triple digits with Neutrogena’s SPF 100+ sunblock, leading some dermatologists to complain that this is merely a numbers game that confuses consumers.”

Throughout the article several voices go back and forth arguing the legitimacy and need for SPFs this high.  Is it really necessary or is it all a marketing ploy? One doctor suggests it is marketing.

“‘It captures the consumers’ attention, the high SPF,’ said Dr. Elma D. Baron, an assistant professor of dermatology at Case Western Reserve University who sees patients at hospitals in Cleveland. ‘Just walking down the drugstore aisle and seeing a SPF 90 or 95, they assume, “This is what I need.”‘ ”

I checked out Neutragena’s site to see what they had to say about their new SPF 100+ and they tout:

“SPF 100+ is the only sunblock proven to protect skin from over 99% of UVB sunburn damage. Plus, with an unbeatable PFA, nothing provides better UVA protection.”

As an unsuspecting consumer, that sounds pretty good to me.  We all know the dangers of the sun, so why not use the highest protection possible? One analyst in NYT article warns about high SPF:

“That’s a problem if an SPF north of 50 lulls consumers into a false sense of security. Put SPF 100 on your kids at dawn, and you might think, ‘Great, they are covered all day,’ said Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst at the Environmental Working Group, a nonprofit in Washington that reviewed nearly 1,100 sunscreens in 2008. With the less-impressive-sounding SPF 30, ‘you might think, let’s put on a sun hat, or let’s get a T-shirt on.’”

After reading through this article, I’m still a bit confused about SPF, but I know I’ll continue to apply my SPF 30 liberally all summer.  What do you think?  Is it just a crafty marketing tool?

Nicole Amato is an Account Executive at Mediashop PR and a graduate of Northeastern University with a BA in Journalism.