UV Bead Lab

Name: Daisy, Rori, and Simone

Per: 1

Problem/Background:
If you apply a spray sunscreen for 2-3 seconds, you only apply about 0.5
milligrams per centimeter of skin, according to our in-house testing. That means
you get about one-quarter the protection you need to obtain the level of protection
indicated by the SPF rating on the bottle. If you are applying a product with an
SPF rating of 45, you would be getting SPF 10-12 protection.
To apply enough spray sunscreen to achieve the level of protection listed on a
bottle, testings show you need approximately six seconds of application per area
of your body. The average user tested applied only 1/4 of the amount they needed,
zipping over entire areas of their bodies in a mere 1-2 seconds.
Question: Does using spray or cream sunscreen of the same age, SPF, and brand affect
the UV protection? Is spray sunscreen as effective as cream sunscreen?
Hypothesis: Cream sunscreen if better and more effective than spray sunscreen to protect
the skin from UV radiation.
Materials: Neutrogena spray sunscreen SPF 45, Neutrogena cream sunscreen SPF 45, 2
UV beads
Procedures:
1. Add 1mL of sunscreen to each bead. Add spray to one and cream to the other.
This is a controlled variable, so therefore the amount of sunscreen on each bead
needs to be the same.
2. Bring each bead outside where they are in direct sunlight. Make sure neither of
the beads is in shade. This is also a controlled variable so both beads should get
the same amount of sun. Do this by making sure that peoples shadows dont
affect the sunlight received by the bead.
3. Observe the changes in each bead in 1 minute intervals for ___ minutes. Record
the changes in each bead on an excel chart. Watch for color change in each bead.

Time (min)

Spray (UV Bead Level)

Cream (UV Bead Level)

10

Data Chart:

Observations

Analysis
In this lab, we tested the question; does using spray or cream sunscreen of the same age,
SPF, and brand affect the UV protection? Is spray sunscreen as effective as cream
sunscreen. We hypothesized that cream sunscreen is more effective for protecting the skin
from UV rays. Our data shows that the UV beads that were under the spray sunscreen
were exposed to more UV rays than the UV beads that were under the cream sunscreen
because the level of UV exposure for the spray was 6 after 10 minutes compared to 5 for
the cream sunscreen. We found that cream and spray sunscreen actually provides the
same amount of protection, however, many people dont apply the right amount of
sunscreen. The data might not have been completely accurate because some limitations
with the experiment. For example, the amount of sunscreen applied to each petri dish
might have been different. Also, the experiment might not have been completely accurate
because people walked in front of our experiment, thus causing the petri dishes to be in
shade for some time. I recommend that people use the proper of sunscreen when going
out into the sun, regardless of whether they use cream or spray sunscreen. In conclusion,
spray and cream sunscreen are both effective, though we came to the conclusion that
cream sunscreen is better due to the limitations in the experiment.
Bibliography:

https://www.aad.org/media-resources/stats-and-facts/prevention-and-care/sunscreens
http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm258416.htm
http://www.ewg.org/2014sunscreen/faqs-your-sunscreen-questions-our-answers/
http://www.livescience.com/38490-surprising-facts-sunscreen.html