The Best Sun-Care Products Pictures Slideshow: Experts' Choice
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WebMD Experts' Choice reflects the opinions of the editors or experts only, not of WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.
Sun Day Best
Winter's over! That's the good news. The bad? Exposure to UVA and UVB rays can cause cancer, worsen acne, create pigmentation problems, and degrade collagen and elastin. Which means it's sunscreen season. WebMD asked a panel of top dermatologists -- Mary Ruth Buchness, MD, David Colbert, MD, and Laurie Polis, MD -- to evaluate the contenders on five criteria: scientifically sound ingredients; delivery of brand promise; feel, smell, and ease of use; price; and overall excellence.
Winner: Best Face Sunscreen
Our experts selected Neutrogena Age Shield Face SPF 55 ($10.99) as the best protection for your face. Colbert lauded the sunscreen for its gentle, oil-free, noncomedogenic ingredients that are less likely to cause breakout. “Helioplex stabilizes the sunscreen so it lasts longer in sunlight. Plus, antioxidants, which can offer free-radical defense, make this an outstanding daily UV blocker,” he says.
Honorable Mention: Best Face Sunscreen
The popular European sunscreen LaRoche Posay Anthelios ($32) has only recently become available in the U.S. Colbert gives this moisturizing formula high praise for being gentle while offering some of the most complete UV coverage, thanks to the blend of three sunscreens.
Winner: Best Body Sunscreen
The melt-into-your-skin formula of Neutrogena Dry-Touch Sunblock Lotion SPF 45 ($9.99) helped this product win top marks. Buchness likes the light, nongreasy feel, and Colbert likes that “it has a light tint that disappears as you rub it in, so it's easy to see spots you've missed.” The judges also gave high praise to the spray version of this product, explaining that the fast-absorbing, no-rub formula works great on the tops of the feet and the scalp and the back.
Honorable Mention: Best Body Sunscreen
Our panel worried that the high SPF rating is overkill on Banana Boat's Ultra Mist Ultra Defense SPF 85 spray ($10.49), but they all loved the clear fast-drying formula. Polis commended the spray for the potent list of five UV-shielding ingredients. She felt the “pleasant, light scent” also helped it stand out in a field of cloying, heavy options.
Winner: Best Active Sunscreen
Most sunscreens are designed to withstand some degree of sweating, but any outdoor activity more intense than sand-castle-building can require an active formula. Coppertone Sport Spray SPF 70+ ($9.99) is water- and sweat-resistant and includes ingredients to help prevent it from running into your eyes. But this top pick earned high praise for its nonslick feel and for drying in a flash. Polis liked that the drying alcohol in the spray is counteracted with moisturizing silicone.
Honorable Mention: Best Active Sunscreen
Neutrogena Ultimate Sport SPF 70+($9.99) is Colbert's go-to block when he spends hours surfing in Costa Rica. “I have never burned despite being hit with sand, salt, and waves,” he says. Despite Neutrogena Sport's ability to cling, Colbert says it feels weightless and doesn't run into his eyes.
Winner: Best Sunscreen for Kids
Coppertone Kids SPF 70 spray ($9.99) makes it easy to safeguard kids during summer months. Not only did this mist earn high marks for ease of use, but “it dries quick, so it's perfect for a kid on the run,” say Polis. She also liked that it contained glycerin and aloe to combat the drying effects of alcohol in the spray -- so it is soothing to kids' delicate skin. Plus it's been tested to retain full protection after 80 minutes in the water. “The spray feels very light and dries clear, so it's even something I'd wear,” adds Buchness.
Honorable Mention: Best Sunscreen for Kids
Neutrogena, which is owned by Johnson & Johnson, knows how to baby kids' skin, Buchness says, speaking of Neutrogena Waterguard Kids SPF 70 ($9.99) spray. She also noted that it absorbs quickly, making it good for keeping fussy ones from getting cranky. The whole panel appreciated the gentle yet effective combination of ingredients.
Winner: Best Lip Protection
Your lips don't contain melanin and therefore lack inherent protection, Buchness says. And, “people tend to ignore their lips because they're already red,” Colbert says. But it'll be hard to ignore your lips once you try Chapstick Ultra SPF 30 ($2.99), the judges' favorite lip protectant. They raved about the lightweight, non-greasy feel. Polis liked the pleasant taste, fresh smell, and clear application. “And since it's so affordable,” she adds, “you can buy several so you always have one handy.”
Honorable Mention: Best Lip Protection
Polis, a devoted skier, looks for physical blockers, like the titanium dioxide in the Nivea Kiss of Protection SPF 30 ($2.49) balm, to protect her lips at high altitudes. “The particles in this reflect the sun so UV rays don't even penetrate the skin,” she says. The moisturizing ingredients keep Nivea from feeling waxy or heavy as well.
SPF: How High?
“Anything higher than SPF 30 isn't going to make a dramatic improvement on your UV protection,” Colbert says. SPF 15 deflects 93% of UV rays while SPF 30 fends off 97%. After that the coverage goes up in small increments until you reach SPF 50 with 99% defense. And wearing the higher number may give you a false sense of security, Colbert warns. Our panel stressed the importance of reapplication no matter the number you use to guard your skin. Also, it's a good idea to stay out of the sun as much as possible between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.
How Our Experts' Choices Were Made
To select our WebMD the Magazine Experts' Choice Best Sun-Care Products winners, our three experts considered hundreds of products. Their mission? To find the best sun-care products that will protect your skin all summer long.
About our experts:
Mary Ruth Buchness, MD, practices medical, surgical, and cosmetic dermatology in New York City.
David Colbert, MD, is the founder and head physician, New York Dermatology Group.
Laurie Polis, MD, is the director of Dermatologic Services, SoHo Skin & Laser Dermatology Group.
Watch for more Experts' Choice winners in future issues of WebMD the Magazine.
MD Experts' Choice reflects the opinions of the editors or experts only, not of WebMD. WebMD does not endorse any specific product, service, or treatment.
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Reviewed by
Brunilda Nazario, MD on May 16, 2009 Sources: 
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WebMD the Magazine Experts' Choice: "The Best Sun Care Products."
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