The resulting UVB protection ratings reflect each product’s actual effectiveness after water immersion and are based on an average of our results for each sunscreen. About a day later, a trained technician examines the areas for redness. Afterward, each area is exposed to six intensities of UVB light from a sun simulator for a set time. To check for UVB (SPF) protection, a standard amount of each sunscreen is applied to small areas of our panelists’ backs. “We use three samples, preferably with different lot numbers, of each product.” “We buy sunscreens off the shelf, the way consumers would,” says Susan Booth, the project leader for our sunscreen testing. Every sunscreen is tested at a lab in the same way. We use the FDA’s sunscreen testing protocol as a model, but as with all products, we do our own scientific, laboratory-based testing to identify differences in performance and give consumers a comparative evaluation. Manufacturers test sunscreens for SPF before their products hit the market, but unless they are reformulated, that may be the only testing they do. have also found differences between the labeled SPF and the tested SPF in sunscreens on the market in those countries. Other members of International Consumer Research and Testing (a global group of consumer organizations) in Australia, New Zealand, and the U.K. Of the more than 60 lotions, sprays, sticks, and lip balms in our ratings this year, 23 tested at less than half their labeled SPF number.Īnd CR isn’t the only independent consumer organization that has found this discrepancy. But they are still susceptible to sunburn and skin cancer, so experts stress that sunscreen is a must for every skin tone.įor the fifth year in a row, CR’s testing has shown that some sunscreens failed to provide the level of protection promised on the package. How much depends on the amount of the pigment melanin in their skin. People of color have some natural protection against UV rays. But the intensity of UVB rays varies throughout the day and by location, and all sunscreens must be reapplied every 2 hours you’re in the sun.Īnd everyone-including babies 6 months and older-needs to use sunscreen. Assuming you use it correctly, if you’d burn after 10 minutes in the sun, an SPF 30 protects for about 5 hours. SPF, which stands for sun protection factor, is a measure of how well a sunscreen guards against ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, the chief cause of sunburn and a contributor to skin cancer. If you put too much faith in them, you could be putting your skin at risk. If you think all sunscreens touting high SPFs-like those with 50s on their labels, for example-are equally effective, here’s a surprise: Consumer Reports has found that those SPF numbers aren’t always a reliable measure of how much protection you’ll get.
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