No matter what you're doing outside, remember this: wear sunscreen to protect yourself from sunburns and skin cancer.The good news is you don't need to pay top dollar to find a sunscreen that works, but you need to choose wisely since some of those claims on the label might leave your skin and wallet burnt.
Testers evaluate how well sunscreens protect against two types of the sun's rays, UVA and UVB, which cause aging, skin cancer, and sunburn.To test for SPF - the "sun protection factor" - and a measure of how well a sunscreen protects against UVB rays, testers apply sunscreen to small areas on panelists' backs before they soak in a tub for 40 or 80 minutes, depending on the sunscreen's water-resistance claim.
To test for protection against UVA rays, testers apply sunscreen to plastic plates, expose them to UV light, and then measure the amount of absorbed rays.In particular, some sunscreens in CR's testing don't always provide the level of protection that's listed on the label. But it might not be for everyone, as CR's sensory experts found the lotion left a sheen and a greasy film on the testers' skin.