How to Buy Sunscreen Cream

Summer is coming and with it lots of time outside mowing the lawn or, if you're lucky, lazing on the beach. Unfortunately, no matter how good the heat feels after a cold winter, the sun is not our friend. Without a good sunscreen cream, the sun's rays can burn our skin, cause skin cancer and age our skin. Experts believe that photoaging is responsible for 90% of our wrinkles as we age. Plus, at current rates of diagnosis, 1 in 5 Americans will develop skin cancer making sunscreen cream not just a beauty issue, but a life saver. In 2007, the Environmental Working Group published a study showing that more than 80% of sunscreens on the market did not provide adequate protection. When it comes to sunscreen, it is definitely buyer beware and only educated consumers will avoid being burned.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Look for sunscreen creams that advertise 'broad spectrum protection'. SPF alone is not a reliable indicator of sun protection as it only relates to UVB exposure and has nothing to do with the more damaging UVA exposure.

2. Check the sunsblock label for ingredients that block UVA rays from the sun. Common UVA blocking ingredients are aveobenzone or parsol 1789.

3. Make sure the sunscreen cream is chemically stable by looking for mexoryl in the ingredients list. Aveobenzone and parsol 1789 block UVA rays, but, at the same time, these ingredients also cause sunscreens to breakdown faster, which affects efficacy. Neutrogena's Helioplex line is a good broad spectrum sunscreen that is chemically stable and it's available in local drugstores.

4. Review the Environmental Working Group database to be sure the sunscreen cream you select has been proven effective. The EWG database will also advise you of the toxicity of the chemicals used in sunscreen. A link to the EWG database is included in the Resources Section below.

5. Select sunblock with an SPF of at least 30, but a higher SPF is better.

6. Use a broad brimmed hat and sunglasses in addition to sun screen. Sunglasses protect the eyes from UVA/UVB rays and hats can reduce the amount of UVA/UVB exposure by 3 to 7% depending on the brim. Sunscreen wears off, but hats and sunglasses offer continual protection.

Tips & Warnings

• Use sunscreen daily to minimize long term sun damage that causes skin to age and discolor.

Resources

• Newsweek: Sizing Up Sunscreen
• EWG database
• University of Iowa Hospitals Information On Sun Protection