How to Choose the Best UVA Protection Sunscreens 2022

May 24, 2022May 24, 2022 by Nia Patten

Skincare with Friends Ep 76. How to Choose the Best UVA Sunscreen

Table of contents

To recap our last podcast ep- UVA radiation is bad- it causes skin aging, pigmentation and likely cancer. It is also more ubiquitous- it passes through clouds and windows unlike UVB, it is present for more of the day and more of the year.

Different countries have different ways of labelling sunscreen’s UVA protection ability, which we’ll go through in this post, as well as how good those systems are and the best high UVA sunscreens on the market in 2022.

The Different Ways of Assessing UVA Protection and their Drawbacks

There are a few different ways to assess a sunscreen’s ability protect against Ultraviolet A. As we know UVA has a longer wavelength than UVB. UVB has a wavelength of 280-315nm, UVA is 315-400nm. We want sunscreen to protect at a high level across all the UV spectrum. Sunscreen companies don’t necessarily tell us exactly how well their sunscreens protect but they will follow their countries rules.

Europe (also UK, New Zealand, some Middle Eastern Countries, Turkey, Myanmar, Laos, Brunei, Philipines, Singapore, Vietnam, Thailand and Cambodia) the COLIPA method- These countries use a Critical Wavelength of at least 370nm and the UVA protection must be at least a third of the UVB protection, then the sunscreen gets a UVA in a circle symbol. In the UK there is also the Boots star system, which assesses the sunscreen’s UVB to UVA ratio before and after UV exposure (5 stars means that the sunscreen’s UVA protection is around 90% of the UVB protection before and after exposure). Great.
USA– America just require the critical wavelength to be at least 370nm, then they can display the term “Broad Spectrum” on the label. Sunscreen ingredients are controlled like drugs by the FDA and the newer photo stable UVA filters aren’t allowed. This is not great news for Americans. Bad.
Canada– Same as America but the new UVA filters are allowed. OK.
China, Japan, Korea– They use PPD-PF aka Persistent Pigment Darkening Protection Factor. PPD is not and ideal assessment for UVA protection, it doesn’t assess protection across the whole spectrum. Plus the maximum score a product can get is 4+’s, which only equates to a PPD of 16, not very high. Poor.
Australia– They use the critical wavelength and ratio system, similar to Europe but there is more testing involved as sunscreen over spf 15 are governed by the TGA. Great

To my mind the Boots Star system is the best way of assessing UVA protection.

The Best Way to Prevent UVA Skin Damage

If you’re serious about skincare, you know you are meant to wear sun protection every day. This is because of UVA radiation and it’s threat to the very beauty of your skin. Sorry to sound vain and shallow but I am. Here are some pointers-

Be mindful that UVA can get through windows and clouds, if it’s bright out there, pop on some broad spectrum spf. It’s different to UVB,
On a sunny day, put on a good amount. Two finger lengths of cream is a decent estimate of the right amount for the face, it should be a shot glass full for the whole body.
Putting the right amount of sunscreen can be gross and sticky, it can help to apply in 2 layers. One decent blob, let it dry down and then apply another.
The best type of sunscreen for UVA protection has chemical or mixed chemical/physical filters. A good product with UVA blocking chemical filters like Tinosorb or Meroxyl will work well to protect across the spectrum. An spf which only has mineral filters won’t give complete protection in the long wavelength UVA spectrum. Several filters together will work to stabilise each other and create a more photostable product.
Try and get your hands on non American sunscreen if you can. American spf won’t have the newer photostable broad spectrum ingredients and they don’t such stringent UVA standards.

High PPD/High UVA Protection Sunscreens

Protection from UVA feels particularly important for melasma sufferers. There is good evidence around that spf can help with reducing melasma (Preexisting hyperpigmentation improved over 8 weeks with the regular application of sunscreen, Halder et al 2015)

In theory, the higher the PPD PF the better the protection will be against pigmentation. There is a study by Lakhdar et al (2007) on the effect of high ppt spf on the occurrence of melasma in a group of pregnant women. They used a sunscreen with a PPD-PF of 28 to good effect, so I take that as a good standard for my own sun protection as a melasma sufferer.

Not every brand publishes it’s ppd ratings. Asian sunscreens only display the rating up to ppd 16 for instance. Some European brands publish their exact ppd ratings and I’ve put together a list of some really high UVA protection sunscreens that are available in 2022, they are all European for that reason. FYI the higher the concentration of spf filters the stickier the product is going to be so finding a good UVA sunscreen with high ppd protection is likely to involve a bit of trial and error.

My particular favourite from the list is Altruist Face Fluid. It’s comfortable and easy to apply the correct amount. It doesn’t leave a cast on my Fitzpatrick III skin. It doesn’t sting my eyes, but I’ve heard from others that it can. Also it’s the cheapest one on the list. I’ve got loads of bottles around the house/car/handbags, I love it!

(Just to note at this point that any products we mention are subject to change at any point and you should check with the brand for up to date information. It wasn’t easy to find specific numbers in some cases but I did the best I could- my sources are in the references)

Name	Price	Price per ml	Protection	Filters	Description	Rating	Link
La Roche-Posay UVE MUNE 400 Invisible Fluid	£18 for 50ml	£0.36	UVB-50 UVA-46	Chemical	Lightweight fluid, alcohol ++	4.6/5 (64k)	Boots
Bioderma Photoderm MAX Milk	£16.67 for 100ml	£0.17	UVB-50 UVA-42	Chemical	Light cream, shiny finish	4.5/5 (2k)	Amazon
ISDIN FotoUltra 100	£25.18 for 50ml	£0.50	UVB-100 UVA-61	Mixed	Tinted fluid	4.5/5 (2.5k)	Amazon
Eucerin Actinic Control MD	£25 for 80ml	£0.31	UVB-100 UVA-58	Mixed	Rich cream	4.5/5 (56)	Boots
Mesoestetic Mesoprotech Melan 130	£48.50 for 50ml	£0.97	UVB-131 UVA-67	Mixed	Tinted, dewy	4.5/5 (206)	Amazon
Uviage Bariesun Cream	£15 for 100ml	£0.15	UVB-50 UVA-65	Mixed	Light non greasy texture	4.5/5 (526)	Amazon
Rilastil AK Repair 100	£27.95 for 50ml	£0.56	UVB-131 UVA-53	Mixed	Fluid cream	3.4/5 (14)	Amazon
Evy Daily Defence Face Mousse	£25 for 100ml	£0.25	UVB-50 UVA-49	Mixed	Mousse	4.5/5 (14)	Amazon
Altruist Face Fluid	£9 for 50ml	£0.09	UVB-50 UVA-54	Mixed	Fluid cream	4.5/5 (10k)	Amazon

References

Halder, R., Rodney, I., Munhutu, M., Foltis, P., Battie, C., Verschoore, M., & Oresajo, C. (2015). Evaluation and effectiveness of a photoprotection composition (sunscreen) on subjects of skin of color. Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology (Vol. 72, No. 5, pp. AB215-AB215).

Lakhdar, H., Zouhair, K., Khadir, K., Essari, A., Richard, A., Seité, S., & Rougier, A. (2007). Evaluation of the effectiveness of a broad-spectrum sunscreen in the prevention of chloasma in pregnant women. Journal of the European Academy of Dermatology and Venereology, 21(6), 738–742. doi:10.1111/j.1468-3083.2007.02185.x

Mancebo, S.E., Hu, J.Y., & Wang, S. (2014). Sunscreens: a review of health benefits, regulations, and controversies. Dermatologic clinics, 32 3, 427-38.