Your sunscreen of choice can seriously change the game, for better or for worse. Because the Food and Drug Administration doesn't regularly test sunscreens, Consumer Reports assessed the effectiveness of 65 different kinds of sunscreen over the course of four years.
Here's what we now know: "Water resistant" is essentially meaningless (nearly half the water-resistant products researchers tested failed after being dunked); those chemical-free, mineral sunscreens made only with titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, or both are far less effective than chemical formulas; you've got a 57 percent chance of picking up a sunscreen that provides less protection than its label claims; and 1 out of 3 sunscreens function below 30 SPF, the bare minimum to prevent burns and long-term skin damage according to the American Academy of Dermatology.
To protect yourself effectively, avoid these common sunscreen mistakes and reach for the top sunscreen formulas in your favorite category.
From: Cosmopolitan
Originally posted by Elizabeth Narins for ELLE.com
