With Summer around the corner/SUNSCREEN

[momrek06]

With Summer around the corner WebMD has listed the top Sunscreens. Living here in SoCal, I am buying all year around.

http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/743424

From WebMD Health News
9 Sunscreens Get Top Ratings by Consumer Reports

May 24, 2011 — Nine of 22 sunscreens tested by Consumer Reports Health earned a ''recommended" or "Best Buy" rating in the organization's latest evaluation.

All nine got excellent marks for protection from UVB rays (which cause sunburn) even after water immersion. All provided very good protection against UVA rays, which penetrate deeper and are linked with aging and tanning.

The results, issued today, are published in the July 2011 Consumer Reports.

The report follows another sunscreen guide, issued Monday by the Environmental Working Group. The findings from the two reports are often at odds.

"Our ratings are based only on UVA and UVB protection and how well they did in water," says Jamie Hirsh, senior associate editor of Consumer Reports Health. "Our scoring doesn't take into account ingredients."

The Environmental Working Group ratings did take into account active ingredients, among other measures.

Consumer Reports Sunscreen Rankings

Three sunscreens were given the Consumer Reports "Best Buy" rating:

Up & Up Sport SPF 30
No-Ad with Aloe and Vitamin E SPF 45
Equate Baby SPF 50

Six others were recommended:

Banana Boat Sport Performance SPF 30
Coppertone Sport Ultra Sweatproof SPF 30
CVS Fast Cover Sport SPF 30
Walgreens Sport SPF 50
Ocean Potion Kids Instant Dry Mist SPF 50
Banana Boat Sport Performance SPF 100

Other products evaluated include: Soleo Organics All Natural SPF 30+, Badger SPF 30, Hawaiian Tropic Island Sport SPF 30, Avon Skin-So Soft Bug Guard plus IR3535 SPF 30, All Terrain AquaSport performance SPF 30, Burt's Bees Chemical-Free SPF 30, Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50, Bull Frog Marathon Mist with UV Extender SPF 50, LaRoche-Posay Anthelios SPF 40, Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist SPF 45, Aveeno Continuous Protection SPF 85, Coppertone UltraGuard SPF 70+, and Neutrogena Sensitive Skin SPF 60+.

Despite not making the cut for ''recommended'' or ''best buy,'' none of these got a poor rating on UVA or UVB protection or UVB protection after water immersion.

How the Sunscreens Were Evaluated

An outside laboratory evaluated whether the 22 sprays, creams, and lotions met their labeled claim of a sun protection factor or SPF. This refers to UVB rays.

The lab also evaluated how well the products protected against UVA rays.

It used the four-star system to rate UVA coverage, proposed by the FDA in 2007 but still not finalized. As a result, most product labels simply claim ''broad-spectrum protection."

To test water resistance, the evaluators applied the product to volunteers' backs. The volunteers were submerged in water for 80 minutes. Two products that didn't have a specified time on the label for water resistance were tested for 40 minutes. When volunteers got out of the water, they were exposed to UV rays to test water resistance.

All Terrain AquaSport performance SPF 30 was about 10% below its claimed 30 after water exposure, according to Consumer Reports. But it still received a ''good'' rating for UVB protection after immersion. The maker of the sunscreen disagrees with this finding. Most products were ''very good'' against UVA, but Avon's Skin-so Soft Bug Guard plus IR3535 got only a ''fair'' rating.





Sorry, I do not think the link is working but I have c&p'ed the article!

 

[candy0730]

Thank you for posting this. As a fair haired freckled person sunscreen is my friend.

 

[ncmickeyluvr]

I'm surprised...and happy..to see that those that were highly rated are store brands or more economical brands. I sometimes fall into the trap of buying the most expensive because I'm afraid that the cheaper won't be effective. In fact, this week I purchased some Neutrogena over the Equate brand in anticipation of our community pool opening this weekend. I'll feel better buying the store brand next time.

 

[SAHDad]

It's a vaugely helpful list for me - I am allergic to aloe, so I have to read the label first. Combine it with fair skin, plus some heat-related issues, and you can see why I really do not like summer. At all.

 

[Planogirl]

There's another group that actually recommends against some of these sunscreens.

http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/sunscreens-exposed/

It sure is confusing...

 

[golfgal]

The "brand" isn't as important as using it properly. You should apply sunscreen LIBERALLY 30 minutes before sun exposure then every 4 hours or less while in the sun. Liberally should be it should fill the palm of your hand to cover your arms, legs, face, neck and the same amount to cover your torso (front and back). You SHOULD see white after you apply and then rub that in. If you just sort of take some and sort of cover, you won't get enough protection.

 

[disfan07]

One of the issues though with a lot of these "recommended" sunscreens is that a lot of physicians are starting to recommend against some of these brands because they contain parabens.

My dermatologist only recommends (for all of her patients) paraben free sunscreens. She said that with the amount of things that parabens are in in addition to the amount of sunscreen people use in a short amount of time, avoiding parabens is smart to do.

The one sunscreen I recommend to everyone is vanicream. It is paraben, lanolin and fragrence free. It is not cheap ($14.00/4 oz tube) but I am very very pale with red hair and freckles and I am on meds that make me more sensitive to the sun and as long as I apply it properly it has been working for 4 years.

 

[momrek06]

There's another group that actually recommends against some of these sunscreens.

http://breakingnews.ewg.org/2011sunscreen/sunscreens-exposed/

It sure is confusing...

It is confusing but I have always like CR's reports.

 

[Imzadi]

Thanks Karen. I've been using the Ocean Potion Kids brand, SPF 50 lotion, for a while. It's very non-clogging, doesn't leave a weird feel on the skin. I didn't know there is an Instant Dry Mist SPF 50. I will have to try that.

 

[momrek06]

Thanks Karen. I've been using the Ocean Potion Kids brand, SPF 50 lotion, for a while. It's very non-clogging, doesn't leave a weird feel on the skin. I didn't know there is an Instant Dry Mist SPF 50. I will have to try that.

Aww, you are welcome, sweetie!