Are Sunscreens Regulated?

A question I get almost every day is: what is the best sunscreen? My standard answer is: whichever one you like and can afford. I say this because, when it comes to literally protecting you from the sun, all sunscreens with the same SPF and UVA star rating should technically offer the same level of protection, if applied correctly, so it should not matter if the sunscreen costs £2 or £200 or if it is a cream or a gel or a lotion.

That’s because sunscreens are actually strictly regulated globally for efficacy and safety, but to what extent and how they are labeled depends on where in the world you live. In the EU, sunscreen products are classified as cosmetics and defined as: ‘any preparation intended to be placed in contact with the human skin with a view exclusively or mainly to protecting it from UV radiation by absorbing, scattering or reflecting radiation.’

Sunscreen products must protect against both UVA and UVB and there are standard approved testing protocols that the European Commission requires of manufacturers to demonstrate any sunscreen product sold in the EU provides the stated protection levels. In the USA, sunscreens are classified as over the counter drugs so they are regulated and require pre-market registration via the FDA (just like prescription medicines). And the FDA doesn’t mess around so if you buy a sunscreen in the USA you can be fairly confident that it will provide the level of protection it says on the bottle.

The British Association of Dermatologists recommends a sunscreen with a SPF of at least 30 and a UVA star rating of 4 or 5 – this would classify the sunscreen as ‘broad spectrum.’ But I do have patients who tell me that they find some sunscreens don’t seem to protect them as well as others.

This might be down to how it’s applied or how often or even what time of year they were using one brand over another. My bottom line is, when choosing a sunscreen, look for SPF 30 or more and UVA star rating of 4 or 5 and a texture and price point that you are comfortable with. I know the next question is going to be: mineral or chemical? Which is better? That answer requires its own dedicated post!