See Also
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by Paula Begoun
This website is an excellent resource for research on nearly every type of cosmetic product, not just sunscreen. Here, cosmetics expert Paula Begoun rates sunscreens based on research into ingredients.… Clinical trials and government resources are included in her research. Information on the common ingredients found in sunscreens is provided. Begoun discusses effectiveness, possible risks (e.g., skin irritation), and whether or not an item is worth its cost. Her bottom line with sunscreens is whether or not they contain UVA-protective ingredients in the form of avobenzone, titanium dioxide, zinc oxide, Mexoryl SX or Tinosorb. Reviews, though not as many, can also be found in Begoun's book "Don't Go to the Cosmetics Counter Without Me" and at her online storefront, CosmeticsCop.com.
by Paula Begoun
After reviewing hundreds of beauty products for her newsletters and beauty bulletins, Paula Begoun lists the best products of 2008. Each product includes a brief description of why it works and how it is… formulated. Begoun claims that skin-care products are improving and that this is her longest list of winners yet. Her top picks for sunscreens include M.D. Skincare by Dr. Dennis Gross Powerful Sun Protection SPF 45 Sunscreen Cream, Neutrogena Age Shield Face Sunblock SPF 55, Paula's Choice Ultra-Light Sunscreen Spray Lotion SPF 55, and Peter Thomas Roth Uber-Dry Sunscreen Cream SPF 30. Along with product reviews, CosmeticsCop.com also provides useful skin-care information that can be found in the "Learn" section of the website. This is one of the companion websites to Begoun's subscription-based site and book (cited above).
by Editors of ConsumerReports.org
by Olessa Pindak
by Editors of Health
Editors of Health magazine, along with a panel of dermatologists, test and rate beauty products for their 2008 annual beauty awards. Twenty-five winners are listed in hair care, skin care, makeup and body… care categories. The judging criteria, however, is unclear, and none of the sunscreens that didn't make the cut are identified. SkinCeuticals Active UV Defense SPF 15 is chosen as the best facial sunscreen and Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock SPF 70 makes the list as the best body sunscreen.
by Editors of Shape
This is the fifth consecutive year in which Shape magazine rates beauty products. Nearly 5,000 readers, along with Shape staff and beauty experts, weighed in on several products in 23 categories. Each… category includes picks in both the drugstore and higher-end price ranges. Winning sunscreens include products from Neutrogena and Lancome. Unfortunately, editors do not disclose what criteria were used in making these picks and we can't tell whether these were tested.
by Editors of InStyle
by Editors of CEW.org
Cosmetic Executive Women (CEW) lists the 2008 Beauty Award winners. Products are chosen by a group of "experts" but specific testing isn't cited. CEW.org claims that the Beauty award is "the beauty… industry's highest honor" and is given to "the most innovative beauty products of the year," but only new formulas are considered. Both Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 70 and Estee Lauder Multi-Protection Sun Towelettes for Body SPF 15 make the list of best sunscreens.
by Lori Bergamotto
by Editors of Allure
Editors of Allure, along with cosmetics chemists and dermatologists, choose 182 products as the best in their categories. The products tested include new and old sunscreens alike in order to find the best… on the market. Winning sunscreens are Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock SPF 55 and Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen SPF 30 for Sensitive Skin. However, the testing criteria here are not well defined.
by Editors of Cosmopolitan
by Editors of TruthInAging.com
Editors of TruthInAging.com review health and beauty products, including sunscreen, on a regular basis and report on the safety and efficacy of products. Ingredients of each sunscreen are evaluated for… their effect on the body and the environment. Nine sunscreen products are recommended, some of which are moisturizers with sun protection. Products from Abella, Devita, La Roche-Posay and Fallene are included, but none of the sunscreens are ranked.
by Editors of Self
by Cheryl Kramer Kaye, Krista Bennett DeMaio, Crystal Martin, Nadeska Alexis
by Runa Bhattacharya
by April Franzino
Experts across the country and professionals from the Good Housekeeping Research Institute name 40 of the best beauty buys, all costing less than 20 dollars. Ten "luxury" items are included that are said to… be well worth their cost premium. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock SPF 70 and La Roche-Posay Anthelios 40 Sunscreen are the only sunscreens to make the list. Products are not ranked or compared, however, and the criteria for choosing products are not very clear.
by Editors of 3Luxe.com
by Monique Hankinson
This website is dedicated to all things beauty and provides several product reviews and application tips. This particular set of articles lists "favorite" beauty products from the drugstore. Included in the… list are La-Roche Posay Anthelios SX Daily Moisturizing Sunscreen, a facial moisturizer with sunscreen and Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Body Mist Sunblock. Each product is reviewed, but it is unclear how it was chosen or who it was chosen by. Products are not rated or compared. You will have to scroll through the articles to get to the one you are looking for.
by Brian Clark Howard
TheDailyGreen.com lists 13 natural sunscreens that are safe and effective. Each of the products listed are among the top-rated sunscreens by the Environmental Working Group (EWG), which ranks personal care… products for the safety of their ingredients. Each product in this slideshow is given a brief description, but it isn't clear whether products are tested, or why some EWG-recommended products are listed and others are not.
by Editors of TheGreenGuide.com
Written from an environmentally conscious point of view, this article draws attention to the potential harmful health effects of chemical sunscreens, some of which are said to interfere with hormonal… systems and/or break down in sunlight. Products using zinc oxide and titanium dioxide for UVA protection are recommended instead. A list of 15 sunscreens is recommended, but none are rated or compared. UV Natural Adult SPF 30+ Sunscreen, however, is listed as a Green Guide Featured Product, while Alba Botanica Sun Fragrance-Free Mineral Sunscreen SPF 18 is called the Best Value and Zinc Oxide Ointment is named the Greenest Product.
by Julyne Derrick
This is a short writeup, but About.com's guide to beauty, Julyne Derrick, knows her stuff about sunscreens. She gives a good explanation about UVA rays and the UVA-blocking ingredients to look for. She then… names her top-rated sunscreens in several categories, including best facial sunscreens for various skin types, based on personal and expert recommendations. La Roche-Posay Anthelios XL Lait is called "The Best Sunscreen in the World" due to the ingredient Mexoryl SX. As for full-body formulas, Bull Frog Superblock and Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch are on the list. No testing is mentioned, but this is still a helpful article. (Note: ConsumerSearch is owned by About.com, but the two don't share an editorial affiliation.)
by Contributors to MakeupAlley.com
This site invites consumers to rate beauty products, and more than 800 sunscreens are reviewed by members of this website. Product reviews can be sorted in many ways, making it easy for users to find the… highest consumer-rated products, as well as those that are reviewed most often. Some products receive many reviews, while others receive only a few. Neutrogena Ultra Sheer Dry-Touch Sunblock receives high ratings from hundreds of reviewers, as does Shiseido Ultimate Sun Protection Lotion SPF 55. (Parts of this website require free registration.)
by Contributors to Drugstore.com
by "acancerfreeutah"
This blogger gives an enthusiastic recommendation to Blue Lizard Australian Sunscreen. She points out that the manufacturer adheres to Australian sunscreen guidelines, which are stricter than those set for… the U.S. The sunscreen provides broad-spectrum protection and is gentle enough for children and adults with sensitive skin. No other products are specifically mentioned, although a few readers add their suggestions at the end of the article.
by Contributors to Amazon.com
by Amy Wechsler
by Editors of Choice
This article from the Australian Consumers' Association has helpful sun safety information and rates the top seven (of 40 tested) SPF 30+ broad-spectrum sunscreens. However, most of these are Australian… products that aren't available in the U.S., making this article less useful for those in North America. The article is also a few years old. A newer article on the site, "Nanoparticles in Sunscreen May Damage Skin," discusses concerns about the use of nanoparticles in sunscreens that use zinc oxide and titanium dioxide.
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