Sunscreens That I Don’t Recommend as a Board Certified Dermatologist

Sunscreens that I don’t recommend as a board certified dermatologist 

First up: all powdered sunscreens. For the same reason that I do not recommend relying on makeup alone for sun protection,  all mineral powders in order to get the advertised amount of SPF would require such a thick layer that no one would actually apply it this way. Which means almost everyone is using such a thin layer that the level of sun protection is much lower than what you might expect.   I never recommend powders as anyone’s base layer of sunscreen. I recommend them in two settings only: 

1. You’ve already applied your daily SPF and make up, and you’re at a special event like a wedding, and you use the powder to touch up your SPF over your make up. 

2. For a number of reasons you can’t wear a hat, so you apply a mineral powder sunscreen to your part to protect your scalp from sunburn (please note that a hat is always first choice for scalp protection). 

I would also use caution with spray sunscreens. I am not entirely opposed to them because they do represent a more convenient option for many especially for hard to reach places like the back. But you do still need to rub them in to make sure you get an even coating everywhere. . And you should make sure that you or your kids do not inhale them while spraying (better to apply outdoors). 

Lastly, stick sunscreens - these are great for re-applying on the go because you don’t have to worry about sticky or greasy hands or even dirty hands that you don’t want to touch your face with. But they are also not the best for initial applications because they are hard to get completely even coverage - especially around the eyes, backs of the ears, and other hard to reach places. 

That being said, any sunscreen is better than no sunscreen. Nothing is more dangerous than sunburns in childhood for a lifetime risk of melanoma. So at the end of the day use what you have available.