The effects of UVA on the skin are well documented in the literature. Sunscreens were originally developed to protect against erythema and consequently against UVB. Even today, most sunscreens on the market provide much higher UVB than UVA protection. By looking at the transmission profile of 3 different sunscreens on the market and making a theoretical calculation, we show that users in the past and even today are being exposed to a huge amount of UVA in a silent way. This is what we define as silent UVA. There is a need to develop a new generation of sunscreens with higher UVA protection to reduce Silent UVA exposure. •Sunscreens, especially in the past but still today, offer better protection in the UVB than in the UVA range.•This imbalance between UVB and UVA protection means that users silently receive a significant dose of UVA in the skin.•Using a theoretical model, we aim to demonstrate this effect and the importance of sunscreens with higher UVA protection.