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How well you use sunscreen is just as important than the SPF value.

You know you need to use sunscreen, but what kind? And what level of SPF do you need? There’s a lot of information to digest on a sunscreen bottle. And if you’re confused, dermatologists get it.

“Even though manufacturers and the (Food and Drug Administration) have tried to make things very simple, I still think it’s pretty complicated for people to understand,” Dr. Shari Lipner, associate professor of clinical dermatology at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, tells TODAY.com.

The general recommendation is to wear a sunscreen that’s SPF 30 or higher daily, Dr. Nada Elbuluk, professor of clinical dermatology and founding director of the skin of color and pigmentary disorders program at the USC Keck School of Medicine, tells TODAY.com.

But your behavior — including how well you apply and reapply the product — matters, too, she notes.

So, while you might think that a higher number automatically means more and better protection, your mileage may vary, experts say. And if you’re comparing 30 SPF vs. 50 SPF, two of the most common and cost-effective SPF values, there’s more to this decision than you might think.

What Does SPF Really Mean?

The term “SPF” refers to a product’s sun protective factor, meaning the protection it provides from the type of UV rays that cause skin redness and burning, Dr. Shasa Hu, dermatologist and cosmetic director of the skin of color division at the University of Miami Dr. Phillip Frost Department of Dermatology and Cutaneous Surgery, tells TODAY.com.

To put it another way, SPF “means how much of the sun’s energy is necessary to create a sunburn on protected skin compared to unprotected skin,” Lipner says. Higher SPFs indicate that more of those burning rays are blocked.

Because the vast majority of burning is caused by UVB rays, experts generally say that the SPF number primarily indicates a sunscreen’s protection against UVB rays.

Although UVA rays do contribute to a smaller amount of redness, tanning and burning, they’re mainly known for other effects on the skin. In particular, these rays “penetrate deeper in the skin and contribute to signs of aging and skin cancer,” Elbuluk says.

Both UVA and UVB rays contribute to your risk for skin cancer.

To be sure that sunscreen also adequately protects against UVA rays, look for the term “broad spectrum” on the product.

Other countries use different methods to convey how much UVA protection you’ll get from a particular sunscreen. Korean products, for instance, display PA+ ratings.

How Much Protection Does SPF 30 Vs. 50 Give You?

All the experts agree that you should use at least SPF 30 for daily activities. This is also the recommendation from the American Academy of Dermatology.

But why stop at SPF 30? If higher SPFs protect against more of the sun’s damaging UV rays, shouldn’t we all be using higher-SPF sunscreens all the time?

It depends, the experts say.

“We generally recommend a sunscreen with at least SPF 30 because SPF 30 will mean that it protects the skin from 97% of the sun’s rays,” Lipner explains.

But double the SPF doesn’t mean double the protection, Elbuluk notes. As you go up in SPF, you do get more protection, but there are diminishing returns.

Compared to the 97% protection against UVB with SPF 30, you’ll get 98% protection from SPF 50. At SPF 70, you’ll get 98.6% protection, Lipner says, and at SPF 100, you’ll get 99% protection.

“If you go up and up, you get less for it,” Lipner notes.

Keep in mind that those numbers are the protection you’ll get under ideal conditions, she adds, meaning that you’re only going to get that much protection if you apply an appropriate amount of sunscreen and remember to reapply it consistently.

Unfortunately, research suggests we aren’t very good at that.

In particular, Hu points to research published in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology. For the study, researchers had participants apply SPF 50 sunscreen to one side of their face and SPF 100 to the other. The participants then spent a few hours skiing or snowboarding and, the next day, had their skin assessed.

Of the 199 subjects, 81 had sunburns on the SPF 50 side of their faces while only 27 had sunburns on the SPF 100 side.

Another study compared SPF 50 and SPF 100 in a real-life beach vacation scenario with 55 participants over five days of UV exposure. These authors found similar results and noted that the first sunburn occurred after just one day of sun exposure — only on the SPF 50 side of a participant’s face. It took three days of UV exposure for the first sunburn to develop on the SPF 100 side.

“This just goes to show you that, yes, in the laboratory, SPF 50 versus 100 is minuscule in terms of additional percentage of protection,” Hu explains. “But that 1% (difference) becomes magnified in real life.”

With the effects of real-life ambient climate, possible degradation of the product over time and the potential for user error in application, Hu says, differences in SPF protection may matter significantly more in these situations than they do under ideal lab conditions.

On the other hand, Lipner says, “Going up and up on the sunscreen to, like, SPF 100 really gives you a false sense of security.” You might be less likely to reapply after a quick swim, for instance, if you think the SPF 70 or 100 is giving you a ton more protection than your SPF 30 or 50.

Should You Use SPF 30 or SPF 50 Sunscreen?

When choosing between SPF 30 and SPF 50 (or higher), there are a few important considerations to keep in mind.

First, certain people who are more likely to burn or develop skin cancer might want to err on the side of more protection on a daily basis, the experts agree. That includes folks with Fitzpatrick skin types I and II (folks with pale or fair skin and red or blond hair) who tend to burn easily and anyone with a family or personal history of skin cancer.

Elbuluk also says higher SPFs are helpful for people who manage a pigmentary skin condition (such as vitiligo or hyperpigmentation) as well as those who are going to be spending extra time in the sun or an area with a high UV index. Those on a medication that suppresses their immune system or makes them more sensitive to sun exposure should also consider using higher SPF sunscreens, she adds.

Price may also be a consideration. Sunscreens with higher SPFs are generally more expensive, Lipner notes, “for something like 0.5% additional protection,” Hu adds.

But if you’re just deciding between SPF 30 vs. SPF 50, the price difference might not be that significant. And if the price is similar, “Why not go for an SPF 50?” Lipner says.

Knowing that people aren’t always great at applying sunscreen properly, Hu tells patients, “If you’re always in a rush, just grab the higher SPF,” she explains. “But, honestly, in a day-to-day application, SPF 30 is good.”

Generally, the experts agree that once you’ve met the minimum protection threshold (SPF 30), you should focus on applying the sunscreen correctly, reapplying consistently and drawing on other sun safety behaviors to maximize your protection from UV rays.

Focus On Behavior, Not Just the Number

Any sunscreen you use should meet these specific requirements:

Once those requirements are met, “focus more on how you’re applying it and how often you’re applying it rather than the number,” Lipner advises.

Most adults need a full ounce of sunscreen — a shot glass’s worth — to cover their body, the AAD says. And when you’re outside, you should reapply sunscreen every 2 hours or after you’ve gotten wet or sweaty. The AAD also recommends opting for water-resistant sunscreen.

But “sunscreen is not enough,” Hu says, especially for folks who are more susceptible to sun damage or at a higher risk for skin cancer. That means seeking shade when possible, wearing UPF clothing (or clothing with an ultraviolet protective factor that you can’t see through when you hold it up to the light, Lipner notes), and wearing wide-brimmed hats and sunglasses to protect your skin.

This story first appeared on TODAY.com. More from TODAY:

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