Dermatologist offers tips on choosing the best sunscreen

Sep 09, 2023

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ARKANSAS, USA — Do you ever get overwhelmed when looking for sunscreen and coming across multiple options?

5NEWS Daren Bobb spoke with a local dermatologist to get some tips on how to choose the best sunscreen.

Dr. Sandy Johnson of Johnson Dermatology in Fort Smith says the only sunscreen you need to look for, contains certain ingredients.

"I believe that the best sun protection products are the physical blockers often called mineral sunscreens. And they work as soon you put them on your skin," said Johnson.

Dr. Johnson explains mineral sunscreens "act as a barrier" on your skin. She says as soon as mineral sunscreen is applied, it "immediately" blocks light from your skin making it bounce right off, protecting it.

Here is a graphic that demonstrates how it works.

Dr. Johnson says mineral sunscreens contain titanium dioxide and zinc oxide. These are the ingredients to keep in mind to look for when searching for the right sunscreen.

According to Dr. Johnson, the sunscreens you need to avoid are chemical sunscreens. She explains that chemical sunscreens take 30 minutes to soak into your skin before causing a chemical reaction. When the sun hits your skin, that chemical reaction "disperses the sun rays through," as shown in the photo below.

Dr. Johnson says this is the same chemical reaction that causes people to get allergic reactions from, among other issues.

If you're confused about what SPF number to use, Dr. Johnson says the only thing SPF does is keep you from getting a sunburn. SPF doesn't actually benefit the damage the rays do to you deeper into the skin.

"The higher the SPF the better, but that doesn't take into account the ultraviolet A rays that penetrate deeper, it doesn't take into account the visible rays," says Dr. Johnson.

For those who do spend a lot of time in the sun, Dr. Johnson recommends you check your skin often.

"We recommend a self-exam every month. And so you and your significant other should look each other over the first Monday of every month," said Dr. Johnson.

For those who don't spend a lot of time in the sun, Dr. Johnson recommends being checked at least once a year by your dermatologist.

Dr. Johnson says don't get overwhelmed when looking for sunscreen. Just look at the back of the bottle with these three ingredients in mind:

Dr. Johnson says even indoors you need some protection. She says she is seeing more and more people who sit in front of computers all day having skin cancer on their faces because of the blue light coming from the screen.

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