What is PA Rating in Sunscreen — PA+ to PA++++ Explained

What PA Rating Actually Measures

PA — Protection Grade of UVA — is a rating system developed in Japan that has become the standard UVA protection indicator across most Asian sunscreen markets including India. While SPF measures UVB protection, PA measures UVA protection. These are two completely different types of ultraviolet radiation that require separate measurement and separate labelling.

UVA and UVB affect skin in genuinely different ways. UVB rays are shorter wavelength, primarily responsible for sunburn, and are most intense between 10am-4pm. UVA rays are longer wavelength, penetrate much deeper into skin, cause pigmentation, premature ageing, collagen breakdown, and dark spots — and are present at nearly equal intensity throughout the entire day, through clouds, and even through glass windows. This is why sitting near a sunny office window all day causes cumulative skin damage even if you never feel the sun "burning" you.

The Science Behind PA — What PPD Means

The PA rating is based on the PPD value — Persistent Pigment Darkening — which measures how much UVA radiation causes skin to darken. A higher PPD value means stronger UVA protection. The PA system translates PPD values into a simple plus-sign scale for consumer labelling. PA+ corresponds to PPD 2-4, PA++ to PPD 4-8, PA+++ to PPD 8-16, and PA++++ to PPD 16 and above. For Indian buyers dealing with pigmentation and dark spot concerns, understanding this scale is more relevant to their actual skin concern than the SPF number alone.

PA+ vs PA++ vs PA+++ vs PA++++ — What Each Level Means

The reader with pigmentation at the start of this article was using PA++ — PPD 4-8, moderate UVA protection — in a country where year-round UV Index reaches 10-11. That gap between her protection level and India's actual UV intensity was the direct cause of her continuing skin concerns despite using a high-SPF product. Switching to PA++++ addressed the actual problem her SPF 50 was never solving.

Why PA Rating Matters More Than SPF for Indian Skin Concerns

This is the opinion we will state directly: for the majority of Indian skin concerns — pigmentation, uneven skin tone, dark spots, premature wrinkles, and dullness — PA rating is a more important number to check than SPF.

Here is why. Sunburn is relatively rare for most Indian skin types, which tend to have enough natural melanin to resist burning under typical urban sun exposure conditions. But UVA-induced pigmentation, dark spots, and photoageing affect virtually every Indian skin tone regardless of how dark or fair — melanin does not protect against UVA damage the way it limits sunburn risk from UVB. This means the PA rating, which measures UVA protection, directly addresses the skin concern most Indian buyers actually have, while SPF addresses a concern that is less immediately relevant for most.

UVA Through Windows and Clouds — The Hidden Exposure

UVA rays penetrate standard window glass and cloud cover with minimal reduction in intensity. UVB rays are largely blocked by glass and significantly reduced by clouds. This means that sitting near a window in an air-conditioned office, or driving with the window up, exposes your skin to meaningful UVA radiation throughout the workday even if you never step outdoors. For Indian office workers who assume indoor environments mean no sun protection needed, this is genuinely important to understand. Your PA rating matters indoors as much as outdoors — your SPF matters primarily when you are actually in direct sun.

How to Check PA Rating When Buying Sunscreen in India

1. Look for PA rating on the packaging directly All reputable sunscreens sold in India now display the PA rating alongside SPF. If a sunscreen does not display a PA rating at all, this is a red flag — it may only provide UVB protection through the SPF and offer negligible UVA coverage.
2. Count the plus signs — minimum 4 for Indian conditions PA+ is one plus, PA++ is two, PA+++ is three, PA++++ is four. For daily use in India, you want four plus signs. Three plus signs (PA+++) is the absolute minimum, and even that is a compromise for high-sun-exposure situations.
3. Check that SPF and PA ratings are both on the bottle A sunscreen with SPF 50 but only PA++ is providing strong UVB protection and weak UVA protection — a mismatch that leaves you partially vulnerable. Both numbers should be appropriate for Indian conditions simultaneously.
4. Do not confuse "broad spectrum" with PA rating "Broad spectrum" is a general claim that a sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB. It does not specify how much UVA protection is provided. A sunscreen can legally claim "broad spectrum" with only PA++ — technically true but insufficient for Indian conditions. Always check the actual PA rating rather than relying on "broad spectrum" labelling alone.

PA Rating and Indian Skin Concerns — The Direct Connection

For buyers specifically dealing with hyperpigmentation, melasma, dark spots, or uneven skin tone — which represent the most common skin concerns raised by Indian buyers in our reader questions — UVA protection is the primary line of defence. UVA rays stimulate melanin production, the same process that creates dark spots and uneven pigmentation, at a level that SPF provides no protection against.

This is why a complete anti-pigmentation skincare approach — vitamin C serum, niacinamide, sunscreen — only works if the sunscreen component includes strong UVA protection through a PA++++ rating. Our dermatologist-recommended sunscreen guide covers why Indian dermatologists specifically emphasise PA rating alongside SPF for patients with pigmentation concerns.