Experts stand by these top-tested SPFs for face and body.
TESTED BY SABINA WIZEMANNSENIOR CHEMIST
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We carefully reviewed this article in March 2023 to ensure all products tested and vetted by the Good Housekeeping Institute Beauty Lab were in stock, available and reflected accurate prices.
When it comes to sunscreens, there are two main types: chemical and mineral. "Natural" sunscreen usually refers to mineral SPFs, which use naturally-derived minerals like zinc oxide and titanium dioxideto block UV rays, as opposed to chemical formulas that absorb UV light and convert it to heat. "Mineral sunscreens protect the skin by reflecting and scattering UVA and UVB radiation, and visible light," says Sara Hogan, M.D., a dermatologist at the Luxe Dermatology and Aesthetic Center in McLean, Virginia. Mineral SPF formulas are gaining popularity because they're free of controversial chemical sunscreen active ingredients like oxybenzone, and because "in general, there's been a movement toward natural and organic skincare," says Elizabeth K. Hale, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City and senior vice president of The Skin Cancer Foundation. The term "organic" on sunscreen product packaging implies that the product contains organically-produced ingredients, though the SPF active ingredients could be mineral or chemical and cannot be organic themselves because they are not derived from living matter.
When it comes to sunscreens, there are two main types: chemical and mineral. "Natural" sunscreen usually refers to mineral SPFs, which use naturally-derived minerals like zinc oxide and titanium dioxideto block UV rays, as opposed to chemical formulas that absorb UV light and convert it to heat. "Mineral sunscreens protect the skin by reflecting and scattering UVA and UVB radiation, and visible light," says Sara Hogan, M.D., a dermatologist at the Luxe Dermatology and Aesthetic Center in McLean, Virginia. Mineral SPF formulas are gaining popularity because they're free of controversial chemical sunscreen active ingredients like oxybenzone, and because "in general, there's been a movement toward natural and organic skincare," says Elizabeth K. Hale, M.D., a dermatologist in New York City and senior vice president of The Skin Cancer Foundation. The term "organic" on sunscreen product packaging implies that the product contains organically-produced ingredients, though the SPF active ingredients could be mineral or chemical and cannot be organic themselves because they are not derived from living matter.
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