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Is your sunscreen protecting you? Report ranks sunscreens

Mary Bowerman
USA TODAY

Each year as people head to the beach for summer vacations, the photos start popping up on Facebook of dark-red, peeling skin on miserable sun-burnt children. 

When it comes to sunscreen application and use, many people are still getting it wrong. Do aerosols work? Do I have to apply every two hours? Does SPF 100 actually provide more coverage? 

Ouch.

The Environmental Working Group's annual Guide to Sunscreens found that not all products are created equal when it comes to sun protection. 

“People are still confused about sunscreen and how it works and what the drawbacks may be,” according to Sonya Lunder, a senior analyst at Environmental Working Group. 

The report, which rates almost 1500 products based on their ingredients, gives lower scores to products that have SPF over 50 and contain the chemicals Oxybenzone and Retinyl palmitate, which some toxicologists believe could increase the risk of skin cancer. 

Henry Lim, a dermatologist and president of the American Academy of Dermatology, notes that retinyl palmitate is being used significantly less often in sunscreens, and the FDA stands behind the safety of oxybenzone, which absorbs ultraviolet light. 

He notes that if consumers are worried, they should look closely at the labels and avoid chemicals they are concerned about. 

“The consumer really has to rely on what is on the label, look for the SPF numbers and broad spectrum coverage,” he said. “If consumers are concerned about it they can look for it and avoid it.” 

The Food and Drug Administration has yet to decide whether it will stop allowing sunscreen manufacturers to market their products with SPF numbers higher than 50, even though sunscreens with 90 and 100 SPF coverage often offer similar protection as those that are SPF 50, Lunder said. 

Doris Day, a dermatologist at Lenox Hill Hospital in NYC, said she recommends higher SPFs because it "gets people closer to a reasonable SPF."

"Any sunscreen is a false sense of security to some degree because no sunscreen blocks 100% of UV rays and no one uses the proper amount to reach the SPF number on the label," Day said in an email interview.

Personal Care Products Council, an industry trade group, released a statement saying that EWG report "helps raise awareness about the dangers of unprotected sun exposure," but may dissuade consumers from using sun screen. 

"It is important to note that the FDA regulates sunscreens as over-the-counter (OTC) drugs and requires rigorous testing for sunscreen effectiveness (both SPF and Broad Spectrum)," Beth Jonas, chief scientist at Personal Care Products Council said in a statement. "Consumers can rest assured that these reliable and credible testing methods result in sunscreens that are safe and effective in protecting them from harmful UV rays." 

So how can people find the right product? 

People should look for products that provide "broad spectrum" and have 50 SPF when they are outdoors, and at least 30 SPF for every day use, said Lim, who is not associated with the EWG report. 

In order to for a product to be marketed as "broad spectrum" the FDA requires sunscreens to protect equally against UVB rays and UV rays, which cause can cause premature aging and skin cancer.

Lim said even with the right SPF, consumers often do not apply enough sunscreen, or reapply every two hours as recommended. He notes that aerosol sprays can also be tricky because people often spray them on their skin and miss large patches of the skin. They should be sprayed into the hands and applied as a lotion would be. 

“Studies have shown that most consumers use...less than one-half the amount of sunscreen the FDA mandates,” he said. “So automatically the SPF is going to be significantly lower than the label.” 

More coverage: 

An umbrella is not a substitute for sunscreen

Should kids need a doctor's note for sunscreen? More states loosen rules

And sunscreen isn't the only part of practicing sun safety, according to Lunder. 

"There are other sun protection strategies you need to use [beyond sunscreen], Lunder said. "It's not safe or possible to put on a bikini, get on a boat and wear sunscreen and think you are fully protected." 

She notes that people should avoid peak hours in the sun, stay in the shade, and wear protective clothing in addition to reapplying sunscreen every two hours and after getting out of the water.  

“The sunburn is the message that you haven’t done the right thing,” Lunder said. “You were out too long.

See how your sunscreen ranks on the EWG report here. 

Follow Mary Bowerman on Twitter: @MaryBowerman.