I’m heading to the beach this weekend, but first I’m going sunscreen shopping. I’m fair-skinned, and one spontaneous midmorning walk earlier this summer led to a painful sunburn. So this time I’m going to be smart and get the good stuff—and apply it early and often! And so should you!
In a recent poll from our Consumer Reports National Research Center, parents admitted that they’re good about slatherhing their kids with sunscreen but not so careful when it comes to their own skin.
We recently tested 10 sunscreens to find out which ones protect you best from the sun’s damaging rays, how well they held up in water, and how well they went on (products that felt funky or smelled bad lost points with our testers!).
Our top-rated sunscreen is actually a kids’ formula, but it works for the whole family: Coppertone Water Babies SPF 50, $9.12 for an 8-oz. bottle. Runners up were Walgreens Sport Continuous Spray SPF 50 and Up & Up Continuous Spray SPF 30, sold at Target. Here's the scoop on how Consumer Reports tests sunscreens. And be sure to buy the September issue of ShopSmart, on sale now, for more!)
The other item at the top of my packing list is resealable plastic bags. Don’t leave home without them, especially when you’re going someplace full of sand and salt water! I pack my beach bag full of ‘em—my book in one, sunscreen in another, cell phone, too (learn more about how to protect your phone.)
