What is the Best Sunscreen?

It's the one that you'll wear.

You want to use a sunscreen that offers to help protect your skin from sunburn, early skin aging and skin cancer.

Dr. Robinson recommends the following tips:

Use a Sunscreen with SPF 30 or higher.
Look for a "broad-spectrum" sunscreen that can protect you from both types of harmful rays. UVA, which causes premature aging and UVB, which causes sunburns.
Use enough sunscreen to provide proper protection ... in most cases, a tablespoon of sunscreen for the face and about two ounces – two shot glass size - for the rest of the body.
Look for "water-resistant". Not all sunscreens are water resistant and there is no such thing as waterproof sunscreen.

Sunscreens need to be reapplied every two hours and immediately after swimming or exercising. No sunscreen can filter out 100% of the suns damaging UVB/UVA rays, however, using an SPF of 30 or higher can block out 97% of the sun's UVB rays.

Some sunscreen products are also available in combination with moisturizers. However, while these products are convenient, remember that sunscreen needs to be reapplied every two hours. Unfortunately, cosmetics/foundations with sunscreen, sit on top of the skin, and do not always allow the active ingredients in the sunscreen to deliver their full protection.

Sunscreen may also be sold in combination with an insect repellent. The AAD recommends purchasing and using these products separately. The reason for this is, when combined in a single product, the insect repellent can reduce the effectiveness of the sunscreen. It is recommended by the the CDC, that sunscreen should always be applied first followed by insect repellent.

However, keep in mind, sunscreen alone cannot fully protect you. In addition to wearing sunscreen, we recommend taking the following steps:

Seeking shade, wearing protective clothing — including a lightweight, tight-weave, long-sleeved shirt & pants, a wide-brimmed hat, and sunglasses with UVA & UVB protection — and using an adequate amount of sunscreen are all important behaviors to reduce your risk of skin cancer.