Expensive Sunscreen Is Actually Not Worth It
If anything’s letting you down this summer, it shouldn’t be your expensive sunscreen.
A new look at the top 1% of sunscreens people buy show that the most popular products don’t quite reach standards, based on guidelines set by the American Academy of Dermatology, NBC reports. The study did find, however, that 9 out of the 10 least-expensive sunscreens tested did actually meet all the AAD guidelines.
A lot to do with the issue comes from the fact that what’s advertised on sunscreen bottles is pretty misleading. When examining the products, the researchers tested for water resistance, broad spectrum — meaning that the sunscreen still works against UV rays when there’s no sunlight — and SPF of minimum 30. They found that 26 of the 65 products they tested didn’t meet requirements. Most of them were definitely not water resistant.
And here’s a breakdown of what those words actually mean: SPF, or the ‘Sun Protection Factor’ is the measure of the product’s ability to protect the skin from Ultraviolet B lights, while sunscreens that read ‘Broad Spectrum’ also guard against Ultraviolet A lights. UVA lights make up 95 percent of the radiation that touches our skin, so it’s pretty important that you take those factors into consideration.
If you’re still confused, take a tip from JWoww Farley of the MTV’s Jersey Shore, who recently shut down haters after she was was criticized for posting a picture of her baby son in a pool, supposedly with no sunscreen on. When in doubt, a little bit of attitude and sunscreen go a long way.
