If you are enjoying the sun and the outdoors this summer, you may be wondering what SPF factors will offer the best protection once you have established a base tan. While tanning prior to sun exposure is great preparation for your aesthetic and does offer some protection from sunburn, it is still important to wear a base tan sun cream with the best SPF for your skin and activity to prevent additional damage. This added protection can offer you peace of mind and hours of fun in the sun.

All types of sun protection have their drawbacks in addition to the benefits. For example, physical barriers such as clothing or a wide-brimmed hat will protect your skin from the sun, but they can come at the cost of sacrificing fashion, and of course they sometimes just make you hot! A base tan, again, does provide protection, but it requires some amount of unprotected exposure to the sun in order to achieve it. Chemical barriers in a spray or cream-based sunscreen provide a measurable amount of protection, but they are, just as they say, chemicals.

Remember, SPF factors are simply a multiple of the length of time you can spend in the sun without experiencing damage. So, for example, if 5 minutes in the sun without protection would burn your skin, the best SPF to allow you 75 minutes in the sun would be 15. Look for a natural based sunscreen with as few ingredients as possible to mitigate the effects of using chemicals on your skin. While there are sun cream levels available with an SPF as low as 5 or 8, it is recommended that you use a sunscreen with an SPF between 15 and 30 as your base tan sun cream. Reapplying regularly will ensure that your skin is protected and the tan you have worked to achieve does not come with the cost of health risks appearing later in life.