UV Light, Sunblocks, And SPF
                     UV Light, Sunblocks, And SPF
Anil Kumar
Writes on functional and active ingredients for personal 
care, home care, hair colour, sun care products, 
pigmentation dryer and dietary supplements including 
Iscotrizinol, also called as Uvasorb HEB / Diethylhexyl 
Butamido Triazone.
    UV (ultraviolet) light is a kind of radiation emanating from the Sun, and 
it pertains to the non-ionizing variety. UV light has a few advantages, 
especially in terms of providing the all-important vitamin D to people. 
This particular vitamin immensely contributes to health. Yet, it must be 
highlighted that the health hazards associated with exposure to UV 
radiation are quite alarming.
• Exposure to ultraviolet radiation makes a person more vulnerable to 
sunburn.
• Prolonged exposure to UV light escalates the risk of developing skin 
cancer.
• An individual’s susceptibility to many diseases of the eye drastically 
increases due to such exposure. And, some of these conditions could 
lead to blindness, too.
    It is indispensable that sunblocks and sunscreens are used by people for 
whom exposure to the Sun can’t be avoided.
    Sunblocks and how they differ from sunscreens
    Products offering protection against UV rays belong to two categories: 
Sunblocks and sunscreens. Though both these safeguard the skin 
against UV radiation, sunblocks are slightly more advantageous than 
sunscreens. Let’s now succinctly focus on some important points 
emphasizing sunblock products.
• Sunblocks, which include substances like zinc oxide or titanium dioxide, 
play the crucial role of actually obstructing the UV light from going 
through inside the skin. The UV rays are physically stopped. Sunscreens 
come loaded with chemicals such as oxybenzone and avobenzone, and 
they are slightly different from sunblocks. To be clearer, sunscreens take 
in ultraviolet light and transform it into heat. So, a sunblock completely 
obstructs the UV light, while sunscreen allows it to come in and then 
acts upon it in the required way.
• Sunblock can easily be noticed on the skin, whereas sunscreen lotions or 
creams get camouflaged with the skin.
• Both sunscreens and sunblocks are paramount when it’s the question of 
protecting skin from the dangers of UV radiation. Yet, it has been 
observed that people having delicate skin are better off opting for 
sunblock products. Generally, there are a few elements in sunscreens 
that can cause allergies and skin irritation. But, no such noticeable 
unpleasant effect has been observed, concerning the usage of 
sunblocks.
    SPF (Sun Protection Factor)
    SPF denotes the amount of ultraviolet radiation needed for sunburns to 
occur over skin having protection. This is about the UV radiation 
quantity sufficient to lead to sunburns on skin devoid of any safeguard.
• Many people hold on to a misconception. They say that the SPF of a 
sunscreen/ sunblock product directly stands for the extra time that can be 
spent under the Sun without getting sunburned. For example, a product 
having 15 as its SPF is mistakenly believed to keep a person protected for 
a time span that is longer by 15 times. That is in comparison to the 
duration for which unprotected skin can be free from sunburn.
• The actual UV radiation that gets absorbed is heavily dependent on other 
factors, too. These consist of the type of skin, the quantity of lotion/ 
cream smeared, and the precise climatic conditions present.
• A pivotal point needs to be specifically noted. There is a striking difference 
between the amount of UV radiation to which a person gets exposed 
early in the morning and afternoon.
• However, there is no doubt that sunblock/ sunscreen products carrying a 
higher SPF offer enhanced protection when compared with their 
counterparts with lower SPF.
  About Vinner Labs 
    Vinner Labs specialises in the supply of 
functional and active ingredients for 
personal care, home care, hair dye 
intermediates, sun filter ingredients, FD&C 
pigments and dyes․ We have global reach 
and focused approach towards providing 
our customers with best products via our 
networked manufacturing and R&D 
facilities․ Vinner Labs aims to provide a 
wide range of functional active ingredients 
from a variety of technological platforms․ 
We are one of the unique players in this 
niche segment of specialty chemicals from 
India․ We consider ourselves as value-
unlockers in a variety of personal care 
categories including beauty care, skin care, 
and hair care․