The truth about sunscreen Saving your skin means getting the facts straight HEN you sHop for sun: sereen, what do you look for? If you're like half of the sun- screen wearers in a recent survey of 1,000 adults in the U.S. by the Consumer Reports National Research Cen- ter, SPF (sun protection factor) is the feature that influences your decision most. You can’t always rely on that claim, however. We tested 20 sunscreens, and though we found seven to recommend, only two: Bullfrog WaterArmor Sport InstaCool SPF 50+ and Coppertone Sensitive Skin SPF 50—provided the SPF protection promised on their packages after water immersion. Beyond Coastal Natural SPF 30 came in at less than half of its claimed SPF, and we weren't able to get a reading on Banana Boat Kids SPF 50. The others came in 4 to 40 per- cent below their claims. That doesn't mean the sunscreens aren't protective. Even an ‘SPF 30 sunscreen that comes in, say, 40 per- cent below its claim gives you an SPF of 18, And we can’t say why our test results differ from the manufacturers’ claims, but they show that SPF isn’talways carved in stone That's just one of many misconceptions people have about sunscreen. Our report debunks some other commonly held myths Myth The FDA tests sunscreens before they hit store shelves. ‘The Food and Drug Administration requires sunscreen manufacturers to test their prod: ucts, but it doesn’t verify the testing, require manufacturers to report results, or do pre~ market testing itself. “Ifthe FDA suspects a problem with a certain manufacturer, they canask for their results,” says David C, Stein berg, president of Steinberg & Associates, 2 personal-care products consulting company inPlainsboto, NJ. "But for the most part, it's a self-regulated industry.” ‘The FDA does require sunscreen manufac: ‘turers to meet certain standards for the use of three termson labels: SPF, broad spectrum, and water-resistant. SPF refers to a sun screen’ ability to shield you from ultraviolet B (UVB) rays, which can cause sunburn and skin cancer. Sunscreens that protect against both UVB raysand the more deeply penetr ng UVA rays—which can cause skin agi and contribute toskin cancer, including me rnoma, the most deadly type—are called bre spectrum. In our tests, we founda wide vz ability of effectiveness against UVA 1ays ( ‘Ratings, on page 23). The FDA saysthata si screen must have a critical wavelength o! least 370 nanometers tobe labeled broad sp trum, Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sport’ 48 and Up & Up (Target) Kids SPF 50 came slightly below that in ourtests. Although can'tsay thatthe products we tested are inc rectly labeled, we're submitting our critic wavelength and SPF results to the FDA, Our findings underscore the importat of choosing from our seven recommen sunscreens. [fnone are available, a prod rated Good will provide adequate protect Using any sunscreen is better than usi tone, but it’s ust one part of a smart s1 protection strategy. “We tend to rely much on sunscreen,” says Sophie J. Ba (M.D. ,a professor of clinical pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in N Juv/2014 CoNSUMERREPORTS.orgrk City and a former chairwoman of the nerican Academy of Pediatrics’ Council on \ironmental Health, “We need to rely more clothing and hats to cover ourselves.” yeh Kids need a special formula. ar survey found that 30 percent of sun- ‘een users and parents of young children yo wear sunscreen buy kids’ sunscreen, those, about half thought that it was afer” and “gentler” than others, and percent assumed it was regulated by the vernment. But the FDA doesn’t make a stinction between kids’ sunscreen and ers, or hold it to a higher safety stan- 1d, Manufacturers use the same active ztedients, sometimes in the same con~ atrations, in both types. “There's only a ott list of active ingredients that can be ad," say Dennis Lott, president of Florida neare Testing in Bunnell, Fla., which ts sunscreens. In fact, when we asked ppettone and Banana Boat what makes a I's sunscreen a kid’s sunscreen, they con- ‘med that the active ingredients they use + the same as those used in adult prod- ts. (Neutrogena declined to be inter- wed.) Kids’ sunscreen may be formulated be tear-free or sting-free, however. But some cases, a side-by-side comparison of sredients lists shows the same active and ictive ingredients, nour survey, 18 percent of people who ught kids’ sunscreen did so because a doctor recommended it, And some products carry such claims as “#1 pediatrician recom- mended brand” (Coppertone) and “pediatri- cian tested” (Banana Boat) that imply an extra level of safety. Those terms aren't regu lated by the EDA, however, and they aren't necessarily meaningful in terms of safety. Coppertone surveys pediatricians to ask which brand they recommend, and they recommend Coppertone products most, ac- cording to Patricia Agin, Ph.D. director of scientific affairs and research and develop- ‘ment leader for Merck, Coppertone’s manu- facture. But many sunscreen manufacturers market heavily to dermatologists and pedia~ tricians, “They give them samples, take them to events, and set up displays at medical con- ferences,” Steinberg says. As for “pediatrician tested,” a doctor may beinvolved, buthedoesn't conduct the study. “Our testing is monitored by clinical profes- sionals, suchas dermatologists, pediatricians, and ophthalmologists,” says Grace Riccardi, a manager in Sun Care R & D at Energizer in St. Louis, the company that makes Banana Boat. “They are part of the team making the conclusion that productsare mild, sting-free, and tear-free.” Some sunscreens for children (and adult sunscreens for sensitive skin) contain only the minerals zinc oxide and/or titanium dioxide as the active ingredients, because they may be less irritating to skin than sun- screens containing chemicals, such as ‘ultrahigh SPF really any better? ur survey, almost one-third of adults and almost 60 percent of children used screens with an SPF of 50 or more. Some products worked we wo of our hest-rated sunscreens have very high SPFs—Banana Boat Ultra Defense Max ‘Protect SPF 10 and Neutrogena Ultimate Sport SPF 70+, But that doesn't, an you're getting twice the benefit of an SPF 30 or 50—or that you can stay he sun longer without reapplying it. As the illustration shows, the difference in protection provided by an SPF 15 and SPF 50 is very small. No sunscreen blocks ‘percent of the rays, and remember that SPF only refers to UVB rays, not UVA. 2x the SPF 2x the protection Percentage of UWE protection SF CONSUMER REPORTS JULY 2018 avobenzone. Some kids’ products do, how- ever, contain chemical sunscreens. Myth A little goes a long way. Ic takes an ounce (about 2 tablespoons) to cover your face and body adequately. Most people apply about half that much, Accord- ing to our tests, using half the sunscreen gives you half the SPF. Timing matters, too, Our survey found that 29 percent of people using sunscreen waited until they were in the sun to slather it on. But you should ap- ply it 15 to 30 minutes before then for full protection and reapply it every 2 hours. Myth ‘Natural’ sunscreens are safer than ‘chemical’ sunscreens. As it is on food packaging, “natural” is meaningless on sunscreen labels. Generally, it’s used when a product’s only active ingre dients are titanium dioxide andlorzinc oxide (though some also contain chemical sun- screens, such as octinoxate), But those min- erals aren't pulled out of the earth, ground into a powder, and mixed into a lotion. ‘They'te refined and sometimes coated with compounds in processing. “There's nothing natural about them,” Steinberg says. “If manufacturers used zinc or titanium in theirnatural form, they'd be pitch blackand contain high amounts of lead.” People think that mineral-based sun- screens are safer because they sit on the surface of the skin and aren't absorbed the way chemical sunscreens are. But that's not always true. Titanium dioxide and zinc ox ide are often broken down into nanoparticles so that they go on clear instead of as the thick, white paste you used to see on life- guards’ noses, and nanoparticles may be absorbed. Some experts are concerned about the health effects of those compounds. ‘When it comes to sun protection, miner- alsare no better than chemicals. In fact, in some cases they perform less effectively. sometimes the particles of titanium diox- ide andjorzinc oxide clump together,” stein- berg says. “That can lower their SPE.” Beyond Coastal Natural SPF 30 and Banana Boat Kids SPF 50, which each contain zinc oxide and titanium dioxide, received Fair and Poor Ratings, respectively, in our tests. California, Baby Super Sensitive 30+ with titanium di- oxide was rated Good. Myth Spray sunscreens provide the best coverage. They're protective if used correctly; four sprays are at the top of our Ratings, But it can be hard to judge the amount of sun- screen you're using, and that could lead to much less protection. Spray pattern makes3 sunscreen fixes we need now When it comes to sunscreen, there's room for improvement. On our wish list: 1.Better ingredients. ‘There are ingredients used in European countries and elsewhere that arent available in the U.S. The FDA has received applications for many of them. In 2006 it approved one, ecamsule (used only by LOréal). Recenty, the agency requested more information about the safety and effectiveness of two sunscreens, anditis reviewing other applications. 2.1nformation on spray safety. In 200 the FDA requested additional informa- ‘ion regarding the safety and effectiveness of sprays.tthas received new information about them and is currently evaluating it 3. Answers about high-SPF products. In20M the FDA proposed limiting the maxi- ‘mum SPF to 50+. The agencyhas received ‘pumerous comments on the proposal, butit hhasn'tyet made a determination. Consumers continue to perceive high-SPF sunscreens 2s more effective than lower ones. ee a difference, too, In our tests, Banana Boat Ultra Defense Max Skin Protect SPF110 and Banana Boat Sport Performance CoolZone SPF 30 covered the most targeted area, so they would be best for specific body parts, such as arms or legs. Products with a wide spray pattern—such as Up & Up (Target) Sport SPF 50, Coppertone Sport High Perfor- ‘mance SPF 30, and Well at Walgreens Sport SPE 50—might be better for your back, but they're more likely to disperse into the air, especially if it’s windy. To make sure you're getting good coverage, hold the nozzle 4to 6 inches away from your body, spray, then rub the product into your skin. Spray each body part twice in case you miss an area. Better yet, spray the sunscreen into your hand, then rub itonto your body. Inhaling spray sunscreen could cause lung irritation and, when inhaled, titanium diox- ideisa possible carcinogen. Flammability is another danger; last year, more than 20 sun: screen sprays were recalled because of reports ‘of people being burned while wearing it when they got close to an open flame~such as a grill—before the product dried. The FDA is investigating the potential risks of spray sun~ screens, but because of the concems, wedon't recommend sprays for children, The products might not be cost effective anyway, because you should spray yourself twice—and some of it might escape into the air. (CR est Buy Recommend Ratings SUNSCeENS — osceler svn ioe Ou! Gra Ore All tested products In performance order, within types. ESE eas ae (ead eee Se & 0 109 Piriciwie LOTIONS [7] Coppertone water Babies SPF50 100 13 i © O° (2A. equate cwaimart) uta protection sPF50 200 05) CF o 6 (No-Ad Sport SPF 50.» no 08 oe CoppertaneSesive Shin SPF 2 1000 197 CF oO Well t ales Bab $502 200 080 CZ > © Coppertone Water Babies Pure & Simple SPF 50 2 mn oo eo California Baby Super Sensitive SPF 30+ ® 2000 690 Sx Oo 0 ‘Alba Botanica Very Emollient Sport SPF 45.2 1.00 275 oe {up & up Target) Kis SPF 0 = 6 064 ee Beyond Coastal Natural ?#3012 100 400 Em oe Banana Boat Kis S502 oo 15 oe SPRAYS Bala NCAT SHAT TTOM 7 °° [2 upsup rare spr sr 0° 00 00 oo el at Walgreen port SPF50=0 950 158 ee Coppertone Sport High Performance SPF 30 oo 17 ec (VS Sheer Mist SPF 30 900 180 ec Banana Boat Sport Performance CoolZone SPF 30 30 12 oc ‘Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist SPF 30 1. oso 190 o.¢ ULTRAHIGH SPF KAMA — TS Neutrogena Utimate port SPF 70+ (tion) Ds © Cvs retlr etn alnae, wichpreeant women may wat ao ana zc od andr anim te How we test sunscreens Tocheck for UB protection, standard amountof each sunscreen beng testedis appiedto smal ‘areas of our panelists backs. Then they Soak ina tub of water. fterward, each of those areas are ‘exposed to six intensies of UVB light from a sun simulator fora settime. About a day later, the sic Spots are examined for recess. The resulting UVB ratings reflect each product'sactual effectiveness after water immersion. (All ofthe tested sunscreens carrya claim of water resistance for 30 minutes.) Measured SPF, nat how cise a sunscreen comes fo meeting its SPF dam, fused to Calculate our UV8 scores To test for UVA protection, we use different panelists and check fortannit instead of redness. Andwe conduct a critical wavelength test similar tothe one required bythe Foo: and Drug Adminstration for sunscreens with broad-spectrum caims. I assesses how well UVrays ‘are absorbed by lear plastic plates treated with sunscreen, (Results can vary depending on thenatt ofthe plates used) The critical wavelength results are not used inthe UVA ratings. Overall scores ar based on the results of our UVB and UVAtests. JuLy2014 ConsuMERREPoRTS.org's‘social kitchens’ are built for entertaining, digital networks, and yes, cooking. How to get one on any budget. UE OPEN KITCHEN is more popular than ever—but with atwist s now designed to accommodate parties, homework, and even altiple cooks, And many electronic devices are finding a new me in the kitchen, Despite all of the benefits of the social kitchen, creating one can challenge. That's where our 2014 Kitchen Remodeling Guide nes in, Want to know which floors hold up best to heavy foot CONSUMER REPORTS |ULY2014 tuaffic? Our flooring report on page 31 can help. Looking for a whisper-quiet dishwasher that won't drown out the after-dinner conversation? See our Ratings on page 44, Before you delve into the product reports, read our essential steps tocreating a truly social kitchen, along with our advice for hiring professionals, planning the budget, and sidestepping those trends that haven't stood the test of time,