Protecting yourself from the sun is essential for slowing skin ageing and preventing skin cancers. But does applying sunscreen necessarily mean giving up a tan? That's what we invite you to find out.
Can you achieve a tan while using sunscreen?
Published on August 29, 2025, by Maylis, Chemical Engineer — 5 min of reading
Themes:
How do sun creams work?
The tanning is a defensive reaction of the skin against UV radiation. When exposed to sunlight, the skin produces melanin, a pigment that absorbs some UV rays and limits damage to the DNA of skin cells. This protective mechanism gradually darkens the skin. However, it does not completely eliminate sun-related risks, notably sunburn, accelerated skin ageing and an increased risk of skin cancers, hence the importance of using a sunscreen.
Sunscreen creams act by filtering or reflecting UV rays before they damage the epidermal cells. They contain organic filters (octyl triazone, iscotrizinol, ensulizole...) and/or mineral filters (titanium dioxide and zinc oxide). The effectiveness of sun protection is quantified by the sun protection factor (SPF), which measures the product’s ability to block erythemal UVB rays responsible for sunburn. However, this filtration is not complete, as shown in the table below.
| FPS | Percentage of erythemal UV blocked |
|---|---|
| FPS 2 | 50% |
| FPS 15 | 93,3% |
| FPS 20 | 95% |
| FPS 30 | 96,7% |
| FPS 50 | 98% |
| FPS 80 | 98,75% |
| FPS 100 | 99% |
Amount of erythemally weighted UV radiation blocked according to the SPF.
Source: SILVA DOS REIS V. M. & al. Sun protection factor: meaning and controversies. Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia (2011).
Protection & hydration
Protection & hydration
Does sunscreen prevent tanning?
No, sunscreen does not impede the tanning process.
Indeed, no sun protection stops 100% of ultraviolet radiation: even SPF 50+ allows a small fraction of UV to penetrate, sufficient to stimulate melanin production and therefore tanning. Furthermore, in practice, the quantity of sunscreen applied is often less than that used in laboratory tests. This reduces the actual level of protection and further increases the proportion of UV that reaches the skin. Thus, tanning still develops despite the use of sunscreen, but more gradually and in a controlled manner, which limits sunburn and associated skin damage.
A research team compared two UV-exposure scenarios: a two-week sunbathing holiday using sunscreen and ten sessions in a tanning booth (each delivering around 150 J/cm²). To do this, they used numerical models that took into account the intensity of both natural and artificial UV radiation, the duration of exposure and the properties of three types of sunscreen. In their analysis, the researchers tested three major families of sunscreen products: type A, primarily filtering UVB and offering very limited UVA protection with a low sun protection factor (SPF < 30); type B, combining UVB protection with partial UVA coverage; and type C, regarded as the most advanced, providing protection across the entire UV spectrum.
The results show that, contrary to what one might expect, going on a sun holiday with sunscreen does not necessarily mean being less exposed than in a tanning booth. Indeed, it all depends on three parameters: the UV coverage provided by the sunscreen (protection solely against UVB or broad-spectrum protection), the SPF rating and the amount applied (the study reminding that SPF values are calculated for an application of 2 mg/cm² of skin). As illustrated in the figure below, the study shows that these three parameters are crucial to ensure that a two-week sun holiday does not result in UV exposure exceeding that of ten sessions in a tanning booth.
Cumulative UV dose at the end of a two-week sun holiday using different sunscreen products applied at thicknesses of 0.5 mg/cm2 (black bars), 1 mg/cm2 (grey bars) and 2 mg/cm2 (white bars). For comparison, a series of 10 UV booth sessions typically results in a cumulative dose of 150 J/cm2 (indicated by the dashed line).
Source: HERZOG B. & al. Suntanning with sunscreens: A comparison with sunbed tanning. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology, Photomedicine (2015).
Sources
SILVA DOS REIS V. M. & al. Sun protection factor: meaning and controversies. Anais Brasileiros de Dermatologia (2011).
KUMAR N. & al. Sunscreening agents: A review. The Journal of Clinical and Aesthetic Dermatology (2013).
HERZOG B. & al. Suntanning with sunscreens: A comparison with sunbed tanning. Photodermatology, Photoimmunology, Photomedicine (2015).
MISHRA A. Know your sunscreen. International Journal For Multidisciplinary Research (2024).
