If you want to know which headphones will stay in your ears when you go for a run or which books you should bring to the beach, the customer reviews on Amazon.com can offer helpful advice. But if you’d like to know which sunscreens are best equipped to reduce your risk of skin cancer, you might want to check with a doctor instead.
A new study examined the top consumer-rated sunscreens sold on Amazon.com and found that 40% of them did not meet the criteria put forth by the American Academy of Dermatology.
Keep in mind that it doesn’t take much for a sunscreen to win endorsement. Dermatologists have only three requirements: A sunscreen should have a Sun Protection Factor (or SPF) of at least 30; it should protect skin against both UVA and UVB rays; and it should be resistant to water, including sweat.
About 5.5 million Americans develop nonmelanoma skin cancer each year. These squamous cell and basal cell skin cancers generally are treatable and rarely spread to other parts of the body, according to the National Cancer Institute.
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