7 Best Sunscreens

Whether you like it or not, sunscreen should be an essential part of your daily routine. It’s one of your best weapons against sunburn, skin aging, and skin cancer.

If you’re like most people, you probably hate the feeling of sunscreen on your skin. After all, we’re all so used to the idea that sunscreens are thick, heavy, and uncomfortably-sticky.

But you should know that the beauty industry has come far enough that lightweight and cosmetically-elegant sun protection products now exist—and this industry continues to improve day by day.

After all, as the American Academy of Dermatology puts it, “The best type of sunscreen is the one you will use again and again.”

Many people think that sunscreen shopping is nothing more than choosing an SPF rating. But this can’t be farther from the truth.

If you’re serious about choosing the absolute best sun protection product for your skin, knowing at least the basics is crucial. A product’s SPF is just a small part of the sunscreen equation. How so? Let us break it down for you.

Humans are exposed to two types of UV rays from the sun: UVA and UVB. A third kind—called UVC—exists. However, UVC rays are already blocked by the atmosphere before they even get the chance to reach the ground.

Now, UVA and UVB rays are the same, but different. They both damage the skin, but the type of damage they cause differs from one another. UVA rays age the skin, which leads to fine lines, sagging skin, and wrinkles. Meanwhile, UVB rays burn the skin, causing it to become inflamed, red, or dark.

So, why is this important? Well, it’s because the SPF ratings you see on sunscreen labels are concerned only with UVB protection. That’s right—they don’t tell you anything about UVA protection. Yikes!

You already know that sun exposure plays a major role in skin aging. But if the only basis you use when picking a sunscreen is its SPF, you’re missing out.

Some labels will contain an illustration indicating the star rating. On other sunscreens, the star rating is indicated using the “PA +++++” format, with each + corresponding to one star.

There are two types of sunscreen filters: physical (also called inorganic) and chemical (organic). Each category has its own pros and cons—and you should consider these when picking out a sunscreen for yourself.

Physical filters work in two ways: absorption and reflection. A physical sunscreen will absorb most of the UV rays and convert them into heat. A small fraction of these rays, however, will be reflected and scattered away from your skin.

• Generally heavier in texture
• Lower UVA protection
• Tends to leave a white cast, which could discourage people from using an adequate amount of it

Chemical or organic sunscreens purely work by absorbing UV rays and converting them into heat before they can harm your skin. Popular ingredients used by chemical sunscreens include:

• May cause allergies and irritation on sensitive skin
• Some chemical sunscreens are difficult to get in the US

Sunscreens are tested in a laboratory to determine their SPF rating. On these tests, 2 milligrams of sunscreen is applied per square centimeter of skin. This means that in order to get the full coverage advertised by a product, you have to apply a similar amount of sunscreen on your face: 2 mg per sq. cm.

This is roughly equal to a ¼ teaspoon for the face, or a shot-glass-full for the body.

All sunscreens—whether organic or inorganic—need to form an even film on the skin to work well. And thanks to science, they’re designed to automatically form this even layer on clean, bare skin.

Short answer: it depends.

On a final note, know that some sunscreen ingredients are incompatible with each other. When combining different sunscreen products, watch out for ingredients that may destabilize each other. A good example of this is avobenzone, which is incompatible with titanium oxide, zinc dioxide, and octinoxate.

• Apply less than the recommended amount. The amount you apply will determine the SPF you’ll get. In fact, their relationship is generally linear. This means using half of the recommended amount of an SPF 30 sunscreen will give you a measly SPF 15.
• Rely on makeup for SPF. We appreciate makeup products that offer sun protection. However, you shouldn’t solely rely on makeup to get your daily dose of SPF.
• Apply moisturizer on top of your sunscreen. Doing so can decrease the protection you’ll get. Keep in mind that moisturizer should always be applied before sunscreen.
• Forget to reapply sunscreen throughout the day. As the day progresses, your sunscreen becomes less effective at absorbing UV radiation. Reapplying regularly will ensure that you’re protected all day long.
  

All SPF-containing products undergo the same testing procedures to determine their SPF ratings. In other words, an SPF of 15 in a sunscreen product is the same as an SPF of 15 in a moisturizer.

However, the problem with this is that people almost never apply enough moisturizer to actually get its full SPF. Also, not many moisturizers are broad spectrum. This means they do have SPF for UVB rays, but they don’t protect against UVA.

Lastly, sunscreens are designed to be a lot more durable than moisturizers. The latter won’t hold up against sweat and water as well as a standalone sunscreen product. So if you sweat a lot throughout the day, you’re better off using a separate sunscreen.

If you’re serious about preventing skin cancer and skin aging, applying sunscreen daily is a must. You might be under the sun for only a few minutes at a time, but over time, their effects do add up. Not to mention, you could still get exposed to UV rays even if you’re indoors—especially if your office desk is situated near a window.

Thick clouds can reduce UV radiation by at least 80%, but that doesn’t necessarily mean using sunscreen is not needed. Know that different surfaces—such as snow, seafoam, sand, concrete, and even grass—reflect UV rays. This means you can end up being exposed to twice the amount of UV rays even on cloudy days: direct UV rays from the atmosphere and reflected UV rays from the ground.

Fact: A sunscreen’s SPF rating is determined by how many times more UV your skin can handle before it burns while using it compared to having no protection at all. In theory, the SPF should tell you how much longer you can stay in the sun. However, this interpretation isn’t accurate.

This is because the amount of UV rays that you’re exposed to varies throughout the day. When testing sunscreens, a lamp that emits a constant amount of UV is used. But in real life, you’ll obviously get more sun at around noontime than, say, early in the morning.

For example, your sunscreen may protect you for four hours if you’re out at 7 am, but if you’re using it at noon, protection could wear off in as fast as an hour—depending on where you live and the SPF you’re using.