The Thruth about The Best and Worst Suncreens

Summer is here and most of us are looking forward to spending as much time outdoors as we possibly can. While some of us have already stocked up on our sunscreens, the rest of can’t be bothered.

With the number of skin cancer cases on the rise, we cannot afford to neglect the importance of applying sunscreen before heading outdoors. In recent weeks, there have been several articles highlighting the fact that not all sunscreens are created equal. Most dermatologists agree that the majority of sunscreen lotions on the market today are good at screening out the sun's UVB rays: the ones that cause sunburn and skin cancers. However, few of these sunscreens offer protection against UVA rays, the harmful rays that seem to give us wrinkles. Don’t be discouraged!

Recent studies showed that lotions that contain the ingredients Oxybenzone, Titanium Dioxide or Parsol 1789 block out some UVA rays. Yes, only some!

That’s where Mexoryl comes in. Mexoryl is a chemical that tackles those mean UVA rays. According to Dr. Vincent DeLeo, chairman of dermatology at Columbia University:
"It produces a product which gives us almost perfect protection against sunshine," said chairman of dermatology at Columbia University.

I will not get too technical; however it is worth noting that helioplex (found in neutrogena’s products) is very effective in protecting us from UVA. In fact, in a recent study, Neutrogena's Ultra-Sheer Dry Touch Sunblock 45 came out on top for best UVA and UVB protection. This product retails for a mere $13.00 for a 3oz tube. In the event that you are not willing to shell out $13.00, you will be happy to know that No-Ad Sunblock lotion SPF 45 tested almost as high, for about half the cost of the Neutrogena.

For those of you who do not have the time, or are too lazy to spend time at the drugstore in search of the perfect sunscreen, here are a few helpful links:

Top 9 Best sunscreens: http://beauty.about.com/od/sunscree1/tp/sunscreenstop.htm

What Sunscreen works best: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070611/LIFESTYLE/706110373/1039/LIFESTYLE02

So before you ran to the 99cents store to make such a huge Beauty investment, keep the following in mind: slathering on sunscreen today, will save you many visits to the doctor in the future! You too guys! Real men wear sunscreen!

*****Please do not neglect those lips. Get a lipgloss with spf 15! Last week I purchased a couple from Avon on sale for $0.79.