In case you missed it, protecting your skin from the sun is really important. Like, really important. So choosing the right sunscreen? That's serious business (here's a handy guide to the best sunscreens on the shelves to help you out). Which is why skin experts are squirming at the news that many of the sunscreens we're buying aren't actually up to par. According to a new study published in the journal JAMA Dermatology, many popular sunscreens on the market don't meet all of the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD) criteria, leaving your skin vulnerable to harmful UVA and UVB rays. Yikes.
To get a handle on some of the sunscreens people are buying, the study authors turned to amazon.com, where almost three quarters of us are reportedly buying beauty and personal-care products, like sunscreen. Using the consumer reviews on the site, the researchers narrowed down the top 1 percent of sunscreen purchases.
Despite the fact that more than 89 percent of the sunscreens they looked at claimed to have an SPF of 30 or higher, less than two thirds actually lived up to the AAD guidelines, which recommend that sunscreens provide broad-spectrum protection against both UVA and UVB rays, be water-resistant, and have an SPF of at least 30. Turns out, a significant proportion of the most popular sunscreens people buy are not water-resistant.
"If your sunscreen does not include these details on the packaging, you can't assume that it offers all these things," points out Sejal Shah, a cosmetic dermatologist in New York City. "As we know, if your skin isn't adequately protected, it's at risk for developing not just skin cancer but also wrinkles, brown spots, and other signs of aging."
Part of the problem with our current purchases might be that we're too focused on the cosmetic aspects of our sunscreen, like how good it smells and how silky it feels on our skin. According to the study, aesthetic features were the most common reasons consumers gave a purchase a high rating followed by actual product performance.
So how do you ensure you're fully protected? The next time you're shopping for sunscreen online, don't just read the consumer reviews. Check out the product details and always make sure your sunblock has the big three explicitly labeled on the package.
