How To Pick The Right Sunscreen For Your Family

July 18, 2024

Be Safe in the Sun With the Right Sunscreen

It’s the peak of Texas summer, and protecting your family from the sun’s harmful rays is essential. With so many sunscreen options on the market, purchasing the right one can be a daunting task. Each cream, lotion, stick and spray promises to shield your skin effectively, so how are you supposed to choose?

At Coryell Health, we understand the importance of sun protection and are here to guide you through the process. From understanding SPF to selecting between physical, chemical and combination sunscreens, we’ll help you make informed choices to keep your loved ones safe and healthy while having fun in the sun.

So, Which Sunscreen is Right For You & Your Family?

The Skin Cancer Foundation asserts that the best sunscreen is the one you are most likely to use, as long as it provides effective broad-spectrum protection with an SPF of 30 or higher for outdoor activities. The more time you spend in the sun, the higher your sunscreen’s SPF should be and the more you should reapply throughout the day.

You may need to wait before picking out sunscreen for younger children. The FDA and the American Academy of Dermatology don’t recommend putting sunscreen on babies younger than six months old since they’re more at risk of a rash and other side effects. Keep your little one hydrated and covered up in the shade if they’re outdoors for long periods of time.

When your child is old enough to wear sunscreen, it’s valuable to know that there’s very little, if any, difference between adult sunscreen and baby sunscreen.

The FDA regulates claims on sunscreen labels related to SPF, broad-spectrum protection and water-resistant sunscreen, but it doesn’t regulate marketing terms like “sport,” “baby” and “kid.”

For example, Blue Lizard Sensitive Mineral Sunscreen and Blue Lizard Sensitive Baby Sunscreen have identical ingredients.

However, if your child likes how it smells or feels, the baby sunscreen might be the right choice. Your child’s safety is the most important part of picking their sunscreen, and if they enjoy wearing it, that’s a big plus.

Why is Wearing Sunscreen Important?

Reason #1

The number one reason to wear sunscreen is that it protects your skin from the sun’s UV rays and helps prevent cancer. According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, daily use of SPF 15 sunscreen, when used as directed, can reduce your risk of developing melanoma by 50% and squamous cell carcinoma by approximately 40%.

Despite several scares in recent years, there is no medical evidence indicating that sunscreen causes cancer. Various sunscreens have been recalled for including benzene, a known human carcinogen, but benzene isn’t typically found in sunscreen. These recalls occurred due to contamination during manufacturing, not because it’s a standard ingredient.

However, there is plenty of evidence that UV rays from both the sun and tanning beds cause cancer. You should wear sunscreen no matter how dark or light your skin tone is. Darker skin provides more protection against the sun’s UV rays than lighter skin, but it doesn’t mean that people with darker skin tones are immune to the harmful effects of UV radiation.

In fact, according to the Skin Cancer Foundation, late-stage melanoma diagnoses are more prevalent among Hispanic and Black patients than non-Hispanic white patients. Additionally, 52% of non-Hispanic Black patients and 26% of Hispanic patients receive an initial diagnosis of advanced, or stage 4, melanoma, compared to 16% of non-Hispanic white patients. Unfortunately, everyone is susceptible to sun damage and skin cancer.

Reason #2

The second main reason to wear sunscreen? It keeps your skin looking young! According to the Skin Cancer Foundation, an estimated 80% of skin aging is caused by the sun. Exposure to UV rays breaks down collagen, causing premature aging, fine lines, sagging and wrinkles. Wearing sunscreen helps you avoid all of this, as well as maintain an even skin tone and reduce inflammation. People who apply sunscreen with an SPF of 15 or higher daily show 24% less skin aging than those who don’t apply sunscreen each day.

How Do I Choose the Best Sunscreen?

When selecting a sunscreen, you should start by ensuring it meets the following criteria:

The sunscreen should be SPF 30 or higher.
It should be labeled as “broad-spectrum protection,” meaning it successfully blocks both UVA and UVB rays.
The sunscreen should also be labeled as “water-resistant.” There is no such thing as waterproof sunscreen, as all sunscreen washes off eventually. However, water-resistant sunscreens are tested to be effective for up to 40 minutes of swimming.

What Are the Main Types of Sunscreen?

With the three criteria above in mind, there are a few decisions about your sunscreen you still need to make. Sunscreen available for purchase in the United States falls into three main categories:

1. Physical Sunscreen

Physical, or mineral, sunscreen contains active ingredients such as zinc oxide and titanium dioxide that reflect the sun’s rays. They are designed to block and scatter the sun’s rays before they penetrate your skin. Most forms of children’s sunscreen fall into this category.

Pros of Physical Sunscreen	Cons of Physical Sunscreen
There’s no need to wait for it to “sink in” — it immediately starts protecting your skin.	It may leave a white film behind, making it less compatible with medium to dark skin tones.
It’s less likely to cause irritation or clog your pores, making it ideal for sensitive or acne-prone skin.	Physical sunscreen rinses off more easily than chemical sunscreen, requiring more frequent reapplication.
It’s naturally broad-spectrum and protects you from both UVA and UVB rays.

2. Chemical Sunscreen

Chemical sunscreen contains active ingredients such as avobenzone and octisalate which absorb UV rays before they can harm your skin.

Pros of Chemical Sunscreen	Cons of Chemical Sunscreen
Chemical sunscreen is thinner and spreads more easily on the skin than physical sunscreen.	After applying chemical sunscreen, you need to wait about 20 minutes before it starts protecting your skin.
A smaller amount of product is enough for sufficient coverage.	It’s more likely to irritate and sting your skin due to the various ingredients added to achieve broad-spectrum protection.
It’s easier to combine with other skincare products.	It’s more likely to clog your pores and cause breakouts for those with oily skin.

3. Combination Sunscreen

Combination sunscreen contains both physical, or mineral, and chemical active ingredients in order to protect you from UV radiation.

Pros of Combination Sunscreen	Cons of Combination Sunscreen
It boasts a higher SPF since properties of physical and chemical sunscreen are mixed together.	The concept of combination sunscreen is relatively new, and some studies show that combining physical and chemical sunscreen may hinder its effectiveness in blocking UVA rays.
It combines the UV-blocking trait of physical sunscreen and the UV-absorbing trait of chemical sunscreen.

What Does the SPF Number Mean?

SPF stands for Sun Protection Factor. The number represents how well the sunscreen protects against UVB rays, the leading cause of sunburn and skin cancer. UVB rays have shorter wavelengths and energy levels compared to UVA rays. Although they only penetrate the surface of your skin, they cause the most damage.

To determine how well a sunscreen can protect you based on its SPF, multiply the amount of time it takes your skin to burn by the SPF number. Say that you’ve chosen an SPF 30 sunscreen, and it takes 15 minutes for your skin to burn without sunscreen. This means that an SPF 30 sunscreen should protect your skin for 450 minutes (if you apply thoroughly and reapply properly every two hours).

Several factors, including your skin tone, how much time you’ll spend in the sun and how quickly you burn, can help you determine the right SPF for you. Wearing a high-SPF sunscreen doesn’t mean you can stay in the sun all day without reapplying — be careful!

Which Sunscreen is the “Best”?

As you scan the shelves at the store, it’s easy to get caught up in comparing brand names. The company logo isn’t the most important feature of the bottle. As long as the sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection, an SPF of 30 or higher and the right ingredients for your skin, it will be perfect for you. Coryell Health recommends the following guides as a starting point for finding the right sunscreen for you:

The Best Sunscreen from Wirecutter
14 Best Sunscreens of 2024, Tested by Scientists from Good Housekeeping

Selecting the right sunscreen is a crucial step in protecting your and your family’s skin and preventing irreversible sun damage. If you have concerns about your skin, don’t hesitate to consult your primary care physician at Coryell Health. Together, we can ensure you and your family enjoy a safe and fun summer.

Search Bar