Is Your Over-the-Counter Sunscreen Helping You or Hurting You?

Before we get into the details, let’s consider why people choose to wear sunscreen. Here are the top 3 reasons:

1. To prevent sunburn
2. To prevent skin cancer
3. To prevent premature aging and sun spots (aka liver spots, old age spots, hyperpigmentation)

So, with these reasons in mind, the question is, how do you choose a sunscreen with the hundreds and even thousands of choices on the market? Most people choose based upon the application style they like (sprays, lotions, oils, powders) and the level of SPF protection. Unfortunately, this decision should be based upon much more important factors such as underlying skin conditions, skin type (color), and type of sunscreen.