With the arrival of the beautiful days, already in the spring, protecting the skin becomes fundamental. Avoid direct exposure, wearing hats, sunglasses and opaque clothes are the first safety rules but, following, the sun cream It is an indispensable complement to protect the most exposed areas.
To help consumers to orient themselves among the many proposals on the market, Que choisir has updated his Solar cream tests, focusing on products with SPF 50 and 50+largely dedicated to children, and on SPF 30 creams designed for adults and people with darker skin.
The analysis includes the evaluation of protection from UVB and UVA rays, cosmetic qualities, the composition of the ingredients, the environmental impact and the price.
But let’s find out immediately what the 10 best sunscreens of the test were considered.
The 10 best sunscreen
Following the updated ranking of the most effective and safe sunscreen, recommended by the French experts, with the relative scores and indicative prices. Most are also available in Italy, in physical or online stores:
How the test was conducted
From 2023 Que Choisir has used the “hybrid” HDRS method to evaluate sun protection. This approach combines in vitro (laboratory) and in vivo (on volunteers) measurements, offering more complete and precise data on the Product capacity to shield UVB rays (responsible for scaling) and grapes (which penetrate deeper and contribute to skin aging and the risk of melanoma). If the result is negative, it is confirmed with conventional ISO methods: in vivo tests for the SPF value and in vitro tests for UVA protection.
The cosmetic qualities and the pleasantness of each sun cream, which is decisive for its actual daily application. Thirty volunteers have each tested two products by evaluating their consistency, ease of drafting, speed of absorption, any white halos, feeling of greasy or stickiness, perfume and the general sensation on the skin. In addition, it was asked if they would be willing to buy it back.
THE’analysis of the ingredients Instead, he was based on labels. Creme containing endocrine interfering, potentially harmful for children, teenagers and pregnant women, are strongly not recommended. The presence of phenoxietanol is reported, to be avoided in children under 3 years, and allergens in perfumes, important for those suffering from allergies. The presence of nanoparticles is also indicated if declared, given that the health risks are still unclear.
Then the compliance of the labeling to cosmetic regulationschecking readability, clarity and relevance of warnings and indications, in particular those relating to exposure to the sun.
Finally, a specialized laboratory analyzed the UV filters toxicity on the aquatic environment, the danger for coralsenvironmental persistence and bioaccumulation. The other formula ingredients have also been evaluated: the more problematic elements there are, the more the cream is penalized. The environmental rating also includes the analysis of the packaging, considering the quantity of residual product in the container, the use of recycled materials, the container/content ratio and the presence of overall.
