Too good to be true: Choosing the most effective sunscreens

Beauty fanatics called it a holy grail product HG for short. It layered beautifully under makeup, moisturized the skin, and didn’t cause acne breakouts. And according to Vogue Magazine, the manufacturer self-reported an unbelievable SPF of 84.5. The product was a South Korean sunscreen, Centella Green Level Unscented Sun SPF50+, by South Korean cosmetics company Purito.

The product rode the wave of popularity recently enjoyed by Korean beauty products in the United States to become a beloved favorite among social media influencers.

But there was a catch. It turned out that instead of SPF 84.5, the sunscreen was no higher than SPF 19, according to Cosmetics Business. And according to New York Magazine, overstated SPF levels is not new or uncommon. One Consumer Reports study found that 36 out of 53 sunscreens tested failed to live up to their SPF promises.

So all of this begs the question: How do consumers identify products they can trust to protect the health of their skin?

According to New York Magazine, the best way to ensure that sunscreen works the way you think it will protect your skin is to make sure it’s FDA-approved. To do that, look up the product’s name or NDC number (a ten-digit code) on NDClist.com. Inclusion on this list verifies that the manufacturer has conducted FDA-compliant testing.

You can also simply look at the label. Every sunscreen should be labeled with a drug facts box that lists the active ingredients and percentages. As cosmetic chemist David Petrillo told New York Magazine, one easy way to pick the best protection between two sunscreens with the same SPF is to choose the formula with the higher percentages of active ingredients.

According to the American Academy of Dermatology, everyone should use sunscreens that offer broad-spectrum protection with SPF 30 or higher. Water-resistance is also recommended.