How to Pick the Perfect Sunscreen for Your Skin Type

Whether you’re prone to breakouts or have skin that’s drier than the Sahara, choosing the right sunscreen can help alleviate your skin issues (or at least not make them worse).

Regardless of your skin tone and type, look for the following words on your sunscreen bottle:

• Broad spectrum: This means your sunscreen protects against both UVA and UVB rays.

• SPF 30 (or higher): Stay clear of the 8s, 15s, and so on. We’re notorious for applying way less sunscreen than the amounts used in testing, which means you’re getting less SPF than you think.

• Water-resistant: No sunscreen is 100-percent waterproof. But while you’re doing all that swimming and sweating under the sun, you’ll want as much of the sunscreen to stay on as possible. But either way, you’ll still need to reapply sunscreen every two hours.

Now that the sunscreen aisle is a bit less intimidating, go stock up on the sunscreen your body needs and enjoy some sunshine — the safe way.

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Written by:

Lauren Smith, MA

Lauren Smith, MA, has worked in health journalism since 2017. Before joining GoodRx, she was the senior health editor and writer for HealthiNation.

Reviewed by:

Brian Clista, MD

Dr. Clista is a board-certified pediatrician who works in private practice in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He previously served as a National Health Service Corporation Scholar in the inner city of Pittsburgh for 11 years.

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