Sunscreen: Scourge and Savior

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Hawaii and Key West, Florida, have both banned certain chemical sunscreens for fear that they kill reefs. An FDA study published in JAMA just last month says that the active ingredients of four tested sunscreens entered the bloodstream of the participants. Adewole S. Adamson, assistant professor of internal medicine at the University of Texas at Austin, says on The Conversation that insistence on sunscreen use won’t reduce melanoma instances in black patients.

Still, given that many people work indoors and get exposure to sunlight only minimally in their everyday lives, sunscreen can protect skin from sunburn. (As you can see in the picture above, I am a bit of a sun-avoiding vampire, myself.) The American Cancer Society says UV rays are a major cause of melanoma, especially damage that occurs when people are young. The CDC recommends that people apply sunscreen of at least SPF 15 when going outside to help prevent skin cancer, , but you may be better off going even higher than SPF 30 for the best chance of getting enough protection.

All of this information may leave you wanting to hide in a windowless, air-conditioned bunker for the rest of the summer. But we’re here to help you separate fact from fear-mongering. We’ve updated our sunscreen guide, and the two sunscreens we like best are Coppertone Ultra Guard Sunscreen Lotion SPF 70 and No-Ad Sport Sunscreen Lotion SPF 50. But we also recommend CVS Health Clear Zinc Sun Lotion SPF 50, a combo chemical-physical sunscreen with zinc oxide that rubbed in clearer than others we tested on both darker- and lighter-toned skin (and doesn’t smell like anything). And although we don’t recommend spray sunscreen as a first line of defense, we do have a spray-sunscreen recommendation, Banana Boat Sport Performance Clear UltraMist Sunscreen SPF 100, for a little water-resistant extra coverage on kids who won’t sit still for a second slathering. Stock up and don’t be stingy with the spray—it takes a whole bottle of the stuff to provide proper coverage for one person on a day spent outdoors if used correctly.

And don’t forget your lips. We recommend Maybelline Baby Lips (SPF 20) and Aquaphor Lip Protectant + Sunscreen (SPF 30).

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Things we’ve been enjoying lately

Some good listening, watching, and reading you may like

The Princess Who Thought She Was Made of Glass [BBC]

“The story of a 19th-century Bavarian princess who thought she’d swallowed a glass piano and therefore navigated the world with extreme physical care—fearing that she might shatter at a bump—is remarkable enough. What’s flabbergasting is that this was a common psychosis for centuries in Europe.”

—Tim Heffernan, editor

Listen: Dedicated, by Carly Rae Jepsen [Spotify]

“I listened to this album three times in a row last Saturday before a scary thought popped into my head: ‘Is this too much? Am I going to hate this tomorrow?’ Then I listened to it four times on Sunday. It is good.”

—Daniel Varghese, associate staff writer

The Night The Lights Went Out [The Concourse]

“About surviving a freak near-death experience, and the family, friends, and medical professionals who help get your life back.”

—Michael Kennelly, updates editor