Best Sunscreen
Based on In-Depth Reviews

How the Sun Damages Your Skin

Tans and sunburns happen when the sun’s ultraviolet radiation damages our skin. While the Earth’s atmosphere protects us from many of the effects of the sun, there’s still some ultraviolet radiation from which we need protection:

• Ultraviolet A rays (UVA) are primarily associated with skin aging—wrinkles and age spots—but also cause skin cancer. The atmosphere doesn’t protect us from UVA.

• Ultraviolet B rays (UVB) are the main culprit of sunburns and skin cancer because of the damage they do to our DNA. It also triggers our body’s production of vitamin D, which is necessary for bone health. Our atmosphere only partially shields us from UVB.

When your skin is overly exposed to UVB rays, you get a sunburn. Mild sunburns are characterized by redness and pain, while more severe burns can cause swelling, blistering, headaches, nausea, and even fever. 

According to the CDC, the pain “is worse for 6 to 48 hours after sun exposure.” However, the effects of sunburn can be much more lasting. For example, one 2014 study suggests that just having five blistering sunburns between the ages of 15 and 20 can increase the risk of melanoma, the deadliest type of cancer, by 80 percent and basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, which usually aren’t life-threatening cancers, by 68 percent among Caucasians.

While sun exposure plays a big role in the incidence of skin cancer, there are other factors at play, such as family history and your own medical history. People with very fair skin are at bigger risk, since they have less melanin to protect them from the sun, as are those who live in very sunny places and at high altitudes. 

Many of these factors are things we can’t change, but protecting ourselves from the sun exposure is one thing we can do. Wearing broad-spectrum sunscreen, which protects us from both UVA and UVB rays, is one simple way to combat the effects of the sun.

Busting Myths About Sun Exposure and Sunscreen

There’s a lot of misinformation out there about the effects of the sun on our skin and how sunscreen can protect us. Here, we bust the most common myths and arm you with the information you need.

“Dark-skinned people don’t need sunscreen.”

Partially false. The melanin in our skin helps protect us from the harmful effects of the sun. The higher the melanin, the darker the skin and the less susceptible it is to burning. However, this does not mean that dark skin cannot burn, only that it takes much more radiation to damage it.

There are also instances that may make skin of color especially vulnerable to sunburn. “Many people of color take medications for hypertension and diabetes and these medications can make them more sensitive to the sun,” said Dr. Susan Taylor, founder of the Skin of Color Society, a group dedicated to advancing research in dermatology for skin of color. Photosensitivity, which can be caused by medication as well as skin products and medical conditions, is a leading cause of sunburn.

Dermatological research has historically focused on Caucasian skin, so there’s a lot we don’t know about how the sun’s radiation interacts with higher melanin density. We do know that melanin doesn’t always prevent cancer. For example, acral lentiginous melanoma (ALM) is a serious and potentially deadly type of skin cancer that is most frequently found in people of Asian and Sub-Saharan-African descent.

But according to Dr. Taylor, a shift towards including non-Caucasian people in dermatological research has been happening in recent years. For example, she said, the FDA is now requiring some companies to include “an adequate number of individuals with darker skin tones or individuals of African descent in those clinical trials. So, whether it's governmental agencies or organizations that get grants, I think the tide has shifted to include people with darker skin tones.”

“You don’t need sunscreen if it’s cloudy.”

False. Clouds aren’t effective at protecting us from the sun’s radiation. Even when it’s overcast, ultraviolet rays make their way down to us and cause damage to our skin. In fact, the Skin Cancer Foundation says clouds only shield us from 20 percent of the sun’s radiation.

To know whether you should be wearing sunscreen and when you should be staying out of the sun entirely, it’s wiser to rely on the UV index than on your eyes. 

To find out what the UV index is where you are, consult your favorite weather app or search for your location on the website for the Environmental Protection Board.

“You don’t need sunscreen if it’s cold.”

False. It’s infrared light that makes us feel warm, not ultraviolet light. So even if we can’t feel the heat of the sun, UV rays can still burn our skin. Regardless of whether you’re hiking in the summer or skiing on a snowy mountaintop, if the UV index is higher than 2, you should be wearing some type of sun protection, like sunscreen, a hat, and sunglasses. Also remember that being at higher altitudes means you’re closer to the sun and more vulnerable to UV rays—if you’re skiing in the mountains, definitely remember to wear some sunscreen.

“You don’t need sunscreen if you don’t plan to be out in the sun too long.”

Partially false. The intensity of sun exposure definitely depends on the UV index, what time it is, your skin color, and how long you stay out. The further away you are from solar noon, the longer you can stay out without protection. Likewise if you have more melanin on your skin and if the UV index is low. 

However, you probably have much less time than you think you do. For people with fair skin that burns easily (type 2 on the Fitzpatrick scale), being in the sun with a UV index of 6 or 7 will cause a sunburn within 20 minutes. Of course, you won’t notice for hours, by which point it will be too late.

A good rule of thumb is to avoid being outside for longer than ten minutes during the peak sun hours between 10 am and 4 pm.

“Sunscreen causes cancer.”

Mostly false. There has been some concern recently about the safety of sunscreen ingredients and their effect on coral reefs and people. Specifically, a study was published in 2019 which raised questions about how much oxybenzone—a common sunscreen ingredient—is being absorbed into our bloodstream when we wear sunscreen.

According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, the results merit more research but they shouldn’t be immediately alarming: “If you look at that study, they fed the rats a huge amount of this chemical over the course of four days. To duplicate that amount in humans would take applying sunscreen all over the entire body every day for 70 years.”

Other concerns involve vitamin A, or retinyl palmitate, as an inactive ingredient in sunscreen. Some controversial sources, such as the Environmental Working Group, claim that vitamin A increases the skin’s vulnerability to UV radiation, which in turn causes cancer. The Skin Cancer Foundation says that “the most likely cause [of these findings] is skin damage from sun exposure in earlier years.”

So while more studies need to be done to determine exactly how sunscreen ingredients interact with our bodies, the current science says that using sunscreen helps us a lot more than it hurts us.

Sunscreen 101

Sunscreen used to be called sunblock until a 2011 regulation by the Federal Drug Administration deemed the term “sunblock” misleading: the creams, sprays, and ointments we use to protect our skin from the sun don’t actually block the sun; they only screen or lessen the effects of UV radiation. There are two main types of sunscreen and each filters UV light in different ways.

H3: Chemical or Organic Sunscreens

When we talk about “chemical” sunscreen, we’re referring to those that contain organic (carbon-based) components as their active ingredients. You’ll find this type of sunscreen on pharmacies and stores all over. Chemical sunscreen works by absorbing ultraviolet light so only some of it reaches your skin. The most common sunscreen ingredients of this type are:

• Avobenzone

• Homosalate

• Octocrylene

• Octinoxate

• Octisalate

• Oxybenzone

Mineral or Inorganic Sunscreens

Only two mineral ingredients are currently used in sunscreen: zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. These inorganic molecules work by reflecting UV rays so they aren’t absorbed by your skin. Sunscreens that use these ingredients are also called “physical” sunscreens because they act as a physical barrier between your skin and the sun. These ingredients are not believed to be absorbed by our skin, unlike chemical sunscreens, which is why they may be the sunscreen of choice for pregnant and lactating women, babies, and those with sensitive skin and allergies.

Choosing a Sunscreen Type

Sunscreen ingredients are combined in a variety of formulas to provide protection from both UVA and UVB rays. The table below illustrates how well each ingredient protects from both types of rays.

Which type of sunscreen you use really depends on your preference: some people like chemical sunscreen because it is easier to apply than mineral sunscreen and because it doesn’t leave the whitish cast on the skin that zinc oxide and titanium dioxide do. Chemical sunscreen also tends to be less expensive than mineral sunscreen. 

On the other hand, some people prefer mineral sunscreen because it’s gentler on their sensitive skin or because they have concerns about chemical sunscreen ingredients being absorbed into the bloodstream. While the FDA and other organizations don’t recommend staying away from chemical sunscreen ingredients as of yet, research is ongoing about how much of these chemicals our bodies are absorbing and what effects they might have on us.

Deciphering SPF

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor, but what does that MEAN exactly? According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, “the SPF number tells you how long the sun’s UV radiation would take to redden your skin when using the product exactly as directed versus the amount of time without any sunscreen.” 

In its original meaning, the SPF number is a factor of how many times you can stay out without burning: if you generally sunburn in just 10 minutes while out in the sun, SPF 15 means you can stay out 15 times longer, SPF 30 is 30 times longer, etc. 

But there’s a big caveat here: SPF only works if you use sunscreen as directed.

“As directed” means applying two ounces of sunscreen evenly to every exposed part of your skin 15 minutes before you go outside and then reapplying every two hours, every time you towel dry, and every time you get out of the water or sweat profusely. 

So, even though your sunscreen may say it has an SPF 50 and should protect you for 50 times as long, you should reapply every two hours like the label says. Not following these guidelines means you’re not getting the full protection of your sunscreen, no matter its SPF number.

As for what level of SPF you should choose, the Skin Cancer Foundations spokesperson, Dr. Henry Lim, says it will depend on your expected exposure. “On a daily basis, [SPF] 30 is sufficient. However, if you’re going to be outdoors for a prolonged period of time, then SPF 50 to 60 would be sufficient, assuming they apply [the sunscreen] appropriately and if there’s sweating or water exposure they reapply.”

For people with special conditions, he recommends going even higher: “Up to [SPF] 100 for patients with what we call photosensitivity disorder, meaning patients who have a very significant sensitivity to sunlight... for those patients, I recommend much higher SPF.”

Coral Reefs and Sunscreen

Another factor that might affect your decision on which type of sunscreen to use is its effect on coral reefs and other marine wildlife.

Scientific evidence has been mounting in recent years on how sunscreen may be harming delicate coral reefs. Though they look like rocks, corals are actually animals closely related to jellyfish. Corals are very sensitive to changes in the water they live in, especially shifts in temperature and increases in contaminants. When subjected to sudden changes, corals sometimes become “bleached”: they lose the algae that gives them color and nutrients. Bleaching can result in the death of the coral.

In order to protect their coral reefs ecosystems, Hawaii and Key West, Florida, have banned some sunscreen ingredients, specifically oxybenzone and octinoxate, two commonly used components. The Pacific nation of Palau has banned an even longer list of ten ingredients.

According to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the sunscreen ingredients that can harm coral reefs are:

1. Oxybenzone

2. Octinoxate

3. Octocrylene

4. Benzophenone-1

5. Benzophenone-8

6. OD-PABA

7. 4-Methylbenzylidene camphor

8. 3-Benzylidene camphor

9. nano-Titanium dioxide

10. nano-Zinc oxide

Zinc oxide and titanium dioxide are safe as long as they are “non-nano,” since nanoparticles are very small and can be consumed by coral reefs.

According to the National Park Service (NPS), up to 6,000 tons of sunscreen leach into the ocean every year: when we swim in the ocean, sunscreen components enter the water. Even if we don’t swim, when we go home and bathe, the chemicals in the wastewater may end up in the ocean later. However, says the NPS, this effect is concentrated in areas where sunscreen is used in large amounts, such as beaches with a lot of tourism.

Dermatologists insist the way to help coral reefs isn’t to stop wearing sunscreen completely, but to be smarter about what you use and how you use it. If you frequently visit a beach with a lot of tourist activity, consider wearing mineral sunscreens with non-nano zinc oxide and titanium dioxide. If you don’t like mineral sunscreen, which can sometimes be difficult to put on, choose a sunscreen labeled “reef-safe,” which doesn’t contain oxybenzone, octinoxate, or octocrylene.

If you only use sunscreen sporadically, you can continue using your sunscreen of choice because the effect it will have on reefs is very minimal.