Consumers can protect their skin from damaging ultraviolet (UV) light rays for as little as $40 a year or as much as $1,400 a year, depending on the price of their sunscreen and how much skin they protect with hats and clothing, according to a new analysis by researchers at UC San Francisco.
The study published by JAMA Dermatology found that sunscreens with the same 50 SPF rating and similar active ingredients varied from $0.04 to $3.79 per application — a 17-fold difference in cost.
Sunscreen protects skin from sun damage, preventing skin cancer, and experts promote daily use to reduce potential harm from UV exposure. But research has shown that when sunscreen costs climb, people tend to under apply, losing many of its benefits.
“Encouraging the use of lower-priced sunscreens and other sun protective behavior like wearing hats, long sleeves, and long pants could lead to better protection,” said Maria L. Wei, M.D., Ph.D., a UCSF professor of dermatology who specializes in skin cancer, especially melanoma, the most aggressive form. “Less expensive sunscreen, with the same active ingredients and same SPF, is as photoprotective as the more expensive, in terms of protection from UV radiation.”
