Top ranked sunscreens on Amazon reviewed by dermatologists

A team of dermatologists (Xu et al., 2016) systematically reviewed the top ranked sunscreens on Amazon and devised a set of 6 helpful screening categories that are based on both positive and negative consumer reviews.Sunscreen attributes (in order of importance):

• Cosmetic elegance (ease of application, not greasy, moisturizing, etc.)
• Product performance (how well it protects against sunburn, even with sweating)
• Skin compatibility (e.g., does not affect sensitive skin)
• Product ingredients (both organic UV absorbers and titanium dioxide)
• Separate ratings (recommendations or reviews from other sources)
• Affordability (expressed as price per ounce)

An additional consideration was whether a sunscreen adhered to recommendations published by the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD), which specify that a sunscreen should:

[1] provide broad spectrum protection against both ultraviolet A (UVA) and B (UVB) radiations,

[2] have a sun protection factor (SPF) of 30 or higher, and

[3] ensure water or sweat resistance for 40 to 80 minutes.

The team reviewed the top 65 sunscreens out of the 6,500 listed on Amazon and surprisingly, 40% of the top tier products did not meet the AAD guidelines.

A sunscreen without water or sweat resistance is not an issue in situations where you’re not going to be swimming or sweating heavily. However, if your child is playing soccer on a hot, humid day, then you should definitely use a water-resistant sunscreen that will hold up for the entire game! Similarly, you don’t necessarily require a sunscreen with a moisturizer in it if you are encountering hot and humid conditions.

The affordability of sunscreens was not a major consideration in consumer reviews, but there can be major differences in the prices of sunscreens with similar consumer reviews/ratings. For cost-conscious consumers, Xu et al. (2016) list several low-cost, highly rated sunscreens on Amazon.com that provide up to 80 minutes of water resistance—their top five are:

1. NO-AD Sunscreen Lotion SPF 45
2. NO-AD Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50
3. Banana Boat Sunscreen Sport Family Size, SPF 50
4. Australian Gold SPF 30 Spray Gel
5. Banana Boat Sunscreen Spray SPF 30

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Reference

Xu S, Kwa M, Agarwal A, Rademaker A, and Kundu RV. (2016). Sunscreen product performance and other determinants of consumer preferences. JAMA Dermatology. http://doi.org/10.1001/jamadermatol.2016.2344