Consumer Corner: Are cheaper sun creams as good as more expensive ones?

Pic: PA

It's that time of the year again when we can start thinking about the summer. One of the must-buy summer items is suncream. 

We want to protect our skin from the sun and ensure we give our children the absolute best protection from the rays but what's with the various prices of suncream? 

Are we paying extra for designer creams or are they better than supermarket brands? Is it a vanity thing that we prefer to pull out a fancy suncream at the beach rather than a supermarket one? Should we be paying more for our sun cream? 

The weight of all these questions can weigh hard when you essentially want the same result.

Michelle Harkin says all sunscreens that are sold have to be regulated and companies that make them have to confirm the protection being claimed so she says you can trust that what you are using is accurate, regardless of the price. 

She says because of this regulation when comparing what a sunscreen offers, like for like, cheaper priced products should be as effective as more expensive ones.

Pharmacist Laura Dowling agrees and says all sunscreens on the market must meet specific safety standards.

“The important thing is that they are applied regularly, every two to three hours, throughout the day. Mineral sunscreens block the sun and chemical sunscreens have chemical absorbers that absorb UV radiation before it penetrates the skin.”

She says that more expensive sunscreens may feel lighter on the skin, absorb more easily and contain other ingredients such as hyaluronic acid that offer additional benefits but ultimately regarding UVA and UVB protection they should all do the same thing.

“EU standards on SPF is so high that every SPF should be effective if reapplied every two hours.”

However various sun creams will offer different ‘services’ as such and it will be worth examining the bottle to see what they offer. 

Some may have added extras that offer additional protection like water resistance, being ‘broad spectrum’ or displaying the plus sign.

Broad spectrum is an important one as these sunscreens filter both UVA and UVB rays. 

UVB is the main cause of sunburn while UVA is the main cause of wrinkles and skin damage. According to the Cancer Council Australia SPF50 offers only marginally better protection from UV radiation than SPF30, filtering out 98% of UV radiation compared to 96.7% blocked by SPF30.

The letters SPF stand for ‘Sun Protection Factor’ and is a measure of how well the cream will protect the skin from sunburn. 

The plus sign after the SPF figure will indicate that it offers more than that level of protection. Also, keep an eye on the expiry date on the bottle as expired sunscreen may not be effective.

Ms Harkin says her advice is to find a sunscreen that you love to use and is within your budget.

“This will ensure consistent use which is key to keeping our skin healthy.”

She recommends at least SPF 30 broad-spectrum sunscreen, all year round, as she says UVA rays are present all the time.

“UVB rays are more prominent from March to September in Ireland, so you may want a stronger SPF to prevent burning during this period. 

"Both UVA and UVB exposure are associated with skin cancer, with UVA also contributing to ageing of the skin as it can penetrate into the deeper layers of the skin, causing wrinkles. It's never too late to start using sunscreen.”

Former consultant in emergency medicine, Dr Chris Luke says that he would recommend people spend as much as they can on SPF creams and he says that you should always apply more than you think is the minimum.

“Use SPF50 on the face ideally and certainly a minimum of SPF30 everywhere else. Re-apply every two hours at least, a teaspoonful or 5ml of cream on the face, each limb, front and back of top and lower torso and re-apply after 40 minutes if in the water or the cream is rubbed off. Seek shade. Ultraviolet rays are invisible and they damage the skin whether it's hot or not.”

“If you genuinely cherish your looks, and you want to avoid wrinkles, freckles and cancer, lather on the sunscreen cream, wear a hat and keep the face in the shade.”

All in all, it seems the advice from the experts is that sun creams, due to the regulation and the testing they will have to undergo will all do basically what it says on the tin, which is to protect against the sun's rays. 

No sunscreen however will give 100% protection from UV radiation but the key advice is that reapplying the suncream is important. 

When we pay for more expensive creams it could be that we are getting a nicer bottle, added ingredients that could make the cream last longer in water for example or a nicer smell even. 

The main takeaway is that sun cream is vital to have on our skin when we are out in the sun and to keep lathering it on as much as possible.