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With vacation season getting underway, it’s a good time to start thinking about buying some new sunscreen. But which ones provide the best value?
Consumer Reports recently tested sunscreens, and its ratings show that you don’t have to spend a lot of money to get great protection from the sun.
In this article, I’ll look at some of the best sunscreens according to Consumer Reports’ ratings. Most of these sunscreens will run you between $4 and $10 per bottle.
Consumer Reports assigned an overall score on a 100-point scale to the top sunscreens based on several criteria including:
Here’s a video that goes into detail about the Consumer Reports’ sunscreen tests.
We’ll take a look first at lotions and then sprays. I’ve included links to the products and prices as of mid-May, 2022.
Lotions | Retail Price | Price Per Ounce | Score |
---|---|---|---|
Equate (Walmart) Ultra Lotion SPF 50 | $5.34 (8 fluid ounces) | 66 cents per ounce | 68 |
Equate (Walmart) Sport Lotion SPF 50 | $4.48 (8 fluid ounces) | 56 cents per ounce | 61 |
Solimo Sport Lotion SPF 50 | $6.13 (8 fluid ounces) | 77 cents per ounce | 57 |
Now let’s take a look at the best cheap sunscreens that are sprays.
Sprays | Retail Price | Price Per Ounce | Score |
---|---|---|---|
Trader Joe’s Spray SPF 50+ | $5.99 (6 fluid ounces) | $1 per ounce | 74 |
Alba Botanica Hawaiian Coconut Clear Spray SPF 50 | $9.48 (6 ounces) | $1.58 per ounce | 72 |
Sun Bum Spray SPF 50 | $13.29 (6 ounces) | $2.21 per ounce | 67 |
Australian Gold Ultimate Hydration Continuous Spray SPF 30 | $7.57 (6 ounces) | $1.26 per ounce | 66 |
Equate (Walmart) Sport Spray SPF 50 | $4.48 (5.5 ounces) | 81 cents per ounce | 65 |
Along with price points, you also may want to consider reef-safe options when it comes to sunscreens.
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) says that sunscreen is only one aspect of sun protection. According to the FDA, here are some other tips for staying safe from the sun.
This post was last modified on June 1, 2022 9:16 am
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